


Stealing Hearts, the Family Business

by EverydayPotato



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/F, Futaba is Akira's Cousin, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Mentions of homophobia, Minor Original Character(s), More angst than I expected there to be at first, Mutual Pining, Rich! Ryuji, Ryuji's Mom - Freeform, Slow Burn, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Thief! Akira, aka Ryuji's father is a bit of a dick, oh just read it, some Suzui Shiho/Takamaki Ann
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-06-11 00:27:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 102,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15303426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EverydayPotato/pseuds/EverydayPotato
Summary: When Akira decides to break into Mrs Sakamoto's house to steal from her safe, he does not expect to wake up her son and run away through a window and down a tree. But look at him now. And the next time they see each other, the confrontation doesn't go any smoother. But maybe some things can change if one tries hard enough.On hiatus until further notice (I'm sorry but school is kicking my butt, I promise I'll be back <3)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Jeez, two years of being on this site and now do I decide to write something? I hope it's good, tell me what you think!

In the dead of night, a dark figure was crouching next to dumpsters in front of a house probably worth millions. If you didn’t look closely, there was no way of you knowing there even was a person there, the boy hiding in the shadows, although his black hair occasionally reflected the moonlight, making it seem almost white. The fence was preventing him to enter the front garden and so the mop of black curly hair had to crouch down in front of the trash cans, waiting for his cousin to disable the security house system and give him a thumbs up.

He was getting a bit restless, having waited almost ten minutes now, without blood circulation in his legs.

“Futaba! Any time now! What are you waiting for?” the boy spoke into an earpiece, now getting up and stretching out his legs.

“Joker. What did we say about using real names while raiding houses? Not only is it much more dangerous if the cameras catch you while speaking to me, it also doesn’t sound as badass. Or professional,” she added after a pause.

“Yeah, yeah, okay. So how are you with the security thingies?”

“Secu- never mind I shouldn’t bother. I disabled the alarm on the door of the house and turned off the outside cameras so you can make it to the house without interruptions. From what I can see, there aren’t any cameras inside the house, but you should still be careful.”

Joker glanced around, making sure there wasn’t anyone in sight and gracefully climbed over the fence. He started for the house, avoiding the turned on sprinklers and sticking to shadows as much as possible.

“Huh, so at least they aren’t that paranoid. Wait, didn’t you say the owner of the house is on a business trip? Why are the sprinklers turned on?”

“Jeez, I already told you,” Futaba started and Joker could just see her eye-rolling at him. “Yes, Mrs Sakamoto is away, but her son is very much still in the house. From what I’ve gathered, he is a heavy sleeper, but you shouldn’t rely on that too much.”

“Okay. So on which floor is his bedroom? I might want to take a sneak peek after I’m done stealing from his mother. Is he cute?” the boy said, sporting a massive grin and lifting an eyebrow in question. Out of his pant pocket, he pulled out a lockpick and started lock picking.

“Hold your horses there, Romeo. What you will not do today, is go spy on a poor unsuspecting boy you’ve never met. You will not be that creepy, not on my watch.”

“Not today? Maybe some other time?” the boy’s grin grew, making him look scary in the moonlight, his features twisted in terrifying but also comical ways.

“Just… get on with it,” He heard his partner in crime sigh, with a tint of a smile in her words.

“Your wish is my command, dear Oracle,” he whispered in his earpiece as the lock finally surrendered and opened with one final click.

And so, Joker quietly stepped into the dark corridor, slowly closing the door behind him.

“Hey, umm… Oracle?”

Futaba uttered a sound of recognition, although not necessarily interest, only half-paying attention to him now that he was out of danger of getting himself caught.

“I kind of forgot where the safe is…?”

“It’s in the master bedroom. Up the stairs, third room on the right.”

“Thanks.”

With that, he tiptoed to the stairs. After evaluating the distance between the stairs and every window in the same room, he decided to fully open two closest to the spiralling staircase and making sure his escape route was secured.

He slowly started walking up the staircase, praying to every god out there that the stairs would not creak beneath his feet.

When he got to the top, he took a few seconds to calm himself, as sneaking around, although he was exceptionally good at it, made him truly nervous. He chided himself. _Of course you're getting nervous, you are breaking and entering a highly secured house._ But now that he was already knee-deep in this mess, might as well get over with it as best as he could.

He crept further into the corridor and before opening the door to the master bedroom, he glanced around one last time. And that’s when he saw the door opposite of where he was standing, plastered with different keep out signs and logos of many rock bands that he liked as well.

_This must be the son’s bedroom. Huh. He’s got good taste in music._

With that, he slowly opened the door behind him and as he merged with the blackness of the room, couldn’t help but feel like him and Mrs Sakamoto’s son would be great friends in another universe.

“I’m in. Now where is the safe? “ he asked Futaba, an unexplainable excitement washing over him.

“It’s behind the picture I showed you the other day, of the king on the horse, killing a dragon. You will have to carefully open it. And from what I know, there isn’t any alarm that would trigger itself upon opening the safe. You just need the key. Look around the jewellery boxes and the drawers of the dresser next to the bed.”

“Alrighty then, let’s get to work,” he whispered and started searching through the drawers.

Now, as much as Joker would like the drawers to be full of shirts and socks, luck wasn’t on his side. While he rummaged through different bras, from black and red to neon pink, he started wondering if this really is a mother of mid-forties whose room he just broke into and not her teenage daughter.

And although he will tell anybody that asks, that he is not a prude when his hands picked up a half-used bottle of lube, he almost couldn’t keep in an embarrassing garbled sound you would hear from a choking chicken.

“Okay. Futaba, I’m sorry, I can’t find it, I just picked up a bottle of lube and I desperately want to wash my hands, these neon pink bras are now seared into my brain for life and I kind of want to cry. Are you sure the key is here?”

“Yes, Akira I am a hundred per cent sure, just look around some more,” she assured him with a strained voice that told him she was barely holding back her laughter. Before he started searching again, he telepathically sent her a murderous gaze.

He started looking through the jewellery boxes, picking up some earrings and lowering them in his pockets. Then he spotted a vase with sunflowers right next to the boxes. Something about the vase struck him as odd, and he carefully lifted the flowers from the vase. There, right at the bottom was a small key with a silver string strapped to it (or as silver as it could be with the water and flower residue- or whatever that was- dirtying it).

“Bingo!” He whisper-shouted, punching the air above him. That, however, made his elbow connect with the vase, that tumbled down and fell on the floor with a deafening crash. His heart almost stopped beating and Futaba choked on her words.

“You idiot! What the hell did you do!?”

“Umm… I- uh… ”

That’s when he heard some colourful words being thrown around outside the door and his mind started working again. He dropped the key and started looking around.

“To your right is a window with a big tree next to it, jump to it and run!” he heard the redhead shout in his ear and his feet moved on their own, arms swiftly opening the window and stepping on the windowsill, looking for the best place to jump to on the branch in front of him. That’s when the door opened and the lights turned on, blinding him for a few moments before he saw a boy around his age tumble inside, his blonde hair a mess from sleeping and his chocolate brown eyes desperately trying to focus on the person fleeing from the crime scene.

“Hey! Who- what are you- Hey wait!” is all Akira heard before he leapt from the windowsill, landing on the most stable branch, climbing down the tree and running away like the whole place was about to explode.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is my first fan fiction after being on this site for two years.   
> I'm very nervous about this but I hope you like it.   
> I would also like to say that my first language is not English and so I'm sorry for any mistakes, please tell me if you find any! <3   
> And if someone would like to take a bullet for the team and be my beta, that would be super helpful, I need all the help I can get lol.   
> But yeah, I hope you're doing good!  
> Potato, out!


	2. Chapter 2

Akira sat on a couch behind the coffee table of Leblanc café, the sweet aroma of coffee doing zero to nothing to calm his nerves. Opposite of him sat Futaba. She wore a not-so-worried expression on her face, fiddling with the cord of her new headphones that sat snugly around her neck. Her bangs needed trimming, as they covered most of her eyes. For a few months now she refused to cut them back to their original form, and maybe she will just let them grow out for a while.

She brushed back a strand of hair and placed her hand across the table on Akira’s shoulder in a calming manner.

“Listen to me, Akira, I’m sure it will be fine. If he called the police, they would most probably have already found you. “

Akira grimaced, burying his face in his hands and sighing dramatically. Any other day, Futaba would have called him a drama queen, but right now, she presumed it was a fitting reaction.

“Futaba, he saw my face. I’m pretty sure he remembers me despite his drowsiness at the time. I didn’t have my glasses on, but my hair is, believe it or not, easily recognisable. I mean look at it, it’s like a nest for a happy hamster.”

The girl regarded him for a second, before lowering her hand and letting out a controlled puff of air.

“There were… no cameras that could’ve recorded you, that’s for sure. At least we have that on our side. And at the end of the day, you haven’t even stolen anything. You didn’t even get to open the safe. And, you dropped the key,” she said. “Although that, I am not so happy about. That was a lot of money you dropped out of your hands. There would’ve been a lot of people you helped with that kind of money.”

Akira’s head connected with the table with a concerning bang and the couple earned a few alarmed glances, before returning back to their own tasks.

“I know,” he started, extending the o a few seconds longer than it was really necessary. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine. Nothing to be done about it now. Although, I am curious, how did you manage to wake the son that fast? What was that crash? I almost ate the spoon, it scared me that much!”

Akira stiffened, unease and embarrassment practically oozing from his pores.

“Umm… I broke a vase that was on the dresser.”

“Wha- how? You are always so careful when we raid houses! You are like a born thief!” Futaba said surprised, wondering what the hell was doing to crash a vase, but as Akira quickly raised his head, shooting her an alarmed glance, she lowered her voice, remembering they are still in a public place.

“I… may or may not have bumped the vase with my elbow,” His face contorted with that statement, cringing at the memory of it. “But honestly, I did them a favour. That vase did not go with the room.”

Futaba dedicated him an amused glance, “well, then you have nothing to worry about, maybe he’ll even come thank you,” she was trying to keep her laughter at bay. She herself didn’t see the impending doom Akira was so sure will come, considering that the police haven’t yet come to take him away. But seeing how flustered he was, the uneasy feeling at the pit of her stomach dictated she makes him feel better.

“I’ll go grab you some coffee. Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. And if the police start chasing you, we’ll just run away.” She added nonchalantly, as if she wasn’t actually talking about fleeing from the law at seventeen and eighteen and becoming felons.

Akira cracked a small smile

“In that case I’m almost more afraid of Sojiro and not the cops.”

“See? That’s the spirit!” She gave him a beaming smile, lightly punched his shoulder and briskly walked to the counter to get some coffee from her dad.

Now the curly haired boy had a small smile plastered on his face, rubbing the place where Futaba bopped him. She had been a great presence in his life these past few months, as Akira’s parents couldn’t take proper care of him anymore, what with one being jobless and the other with a low-paying job. So his mother asked her brother to take him in for a small amount of time, just so they are able to get back on their feet and Akira is not ‘deprived of his youth’, worrying about money expenses and the tough way of living day by day.

While they thought they were doing a good deed and Akira couldn’t hold it against them, they didn’t get rid of his worries for his family, but rather multiplied them because he is not there to help them. Moreover, the moving and changing schools took a toll on his mind. Although he has now already grown accustomed to living above his uncle’s café and he sometimes even treasured the independence it brought him, the first few months were tough on him and that’s when Futaba became a big part of his life, keeping him company and making him laugh. He fondly looked over to the girl that he now thought of as his sister, watching her chat with her father and leaning over the counter, almost spilling the coffee Sojiro made for them in the process.

As Futaba sat down again at their table, Akira fished around his pockets for his phone. But instead of his mobile device, he found a beautiful pair of earrings. With an alarmed look on his face he dropped the earrings on the table, like they just told him that vacuum cleaners are where babies come from.

Futaba shot him a confused glance, picked up the offending piece of jewellery and looked at it more carefully.

”where did you get this? I mean they are beautiful, but I don’t wear earrings. Jeez, Akira, you should know that by know. They meant for me?”

“Umm… no, actually, they are from the house yesterday,” Akira said with a shocked look on his face, not able to take his eyes off the earrings.

“Wait… what? From Sakamoto’s house? Holy crap… they must be worth a thousand or two… wait! No! That’s not good, you actually stole and someone saw you! Jeez okay … I mean, my statement that he didn’t call the police still stands, but… maybe we should put them back? The mother won’t be home for another two weeks, we can still return them and clean your name. I mean at least partially, breaking and entering is still a pretty big problem. We could return them...” her voice drifting away.

Akira snorted, “Even then, I don’t think she would notice, there was so much jewellery in there that she probably wouldn’t remember one pair of earrings missing,” his voice faltered at that. “But maybe we should still put them back in their place, you’re right… it would be much safer.” He scrunched his nose at the thought of entering the forsaken house again.

“But… we could sell them, get some money, that would help right? Give some to the homeless, some we use for your family… oh and we can also give some to the lady that came around the other day, you know, the one that got scammed for thousands? She could probably use some money too…”

“That would help many people, you’re right…”

“…you just agreed with both of my statements.”

“Well they are both correct!” Akira whined, burying his face in his hands and acting like this dilemma troubled him almost as much as the question of ordering pizza or Mexican.

Futaba sighed, acting as the older of the two once more, picking up the earrings and looking at them a bit more, watching as the diamonds shifted colours when she turned her hand the other way.

“Tell you what. We will show them to Iwai and ask how much he would give for them. Then we decide if it’s worth selling or if we should give them back.”

“Okay,” Akira said looking through his fingers.

“Alright. Then we’ll do this tomorrow. But for now, your coffee is getting cold,” with that she nudges the cup of coffee in his direction and starts sipping from her own, meanwhile looking at the earrings, quietly sitting on the table.

“I’ll take them upstairs, keep them in a box or somewhere where they won’t get damaged. That’s the best course of action for now, I’m guessing,” he decided, picking them up and running upstairs. There he placed them in a gift box he found god knows where and put it on his table.

He put his arms on his hips, looking at the Pandora’s Box and sighing. He shook his head to try and get rid of his worries, scratching at his arm and slowly went downstairs again. There he sat down next to Futaba and they both quietly drank their coffee, enjoying the peace and relative quiet of the café.

“Now that we are done moping, do you want to go for a walk? I want to clear my head for a bit, although that would be hard in this city.” Futaba grimaced so that the frame of her glasses got a bit lost in her bangs.

Akira graced her with one of his grins and jumped up. “Sure, we can do that. My head could use some clearing too,” he dramatically offered her his hand, which she took with a hearty laugh and they headed for the door.

Just as Futaba started talking about the newest video game she bought and how tough the boss fight she is stuck on is, the door chimed and in stepped two people, a girl with platinum blond hair, wrapped up in two ponytails and a boy about her age with blond hair and chocolate brown eyes, that Akira will not be able to forget for the rest of his life.

Because his freedom kind of depended on them.

Akira froze, which is why the girl almost bumped into him, giving him a startled look and the boy steadying her on her feet.

Then the son of Mrs. Sakamoto looked up and his brows furrowed in confusion, then shooting up in his hairline and then coming down again all in a span of a few seconds. His face contorted in rage and his eyes hardened, shooting daggers at Akira who stood stock-still like a deer caught in headlights, only his eyes shooting from the girl back to the boy.

“You.” Was all the blond said before pushing the girl he came in aside and punching Akira square in the face.


	3. Chapter 3

Holy mother of fuck did this guy have a strong punch. Akira saw stars floating around his head as he touched the part where the dudes’ fist connected with his face, already seeing how swollen and purple his cheek will look in a few minutes. Futaba’s eyes almost flew out of her eye sockets, looking at Akira dumfounded. The blond was still fuming, the girl behind him holding him back when Sojiro stepped up, already holding a towel filled with ice in his hand.

“Boy, take this outside. I will not have a bar fight inside my café. Scramble, before I call the cops. You too, Akira. I do not know what you did, but solve this before coming home again. Your mother said to take care of you, but I will not be saving you from goddamn fights,” Sojiro said, handing him the ice. “Get out, all of you!”

The blonde took Sakamoto by the arm, forcefully moving him outside the café and shooting daggers at Futaba and Akira, “Let’s talk outside”

Futaba was still as confused as ever, slowly looking up at Akira whose right eye was already getting a bit red from the impact.

“Okay. Hold on a second. What in Gods’ holy hell was that? Did I miss something?”

Akira lowered and shook his head, “Umm… that was… the Sakamoto guy.”

Futaba’s eyes shot from Akira’s face to the closed door of the café.

“Holy crap on a cracker you don’t say? That was him? Well then I guess that was a pretty… understandable reaction,” she said still looking startled and slowly nodded her head. “Yep, I get that. Okay. Well, let’s go outside and figure this out.”

“Yeah… we’ll need to do that. Oh, but… You know what? Let me just hurry upstairs to get those earrings. I kind of want to return them to him.”

“Okay. Sure. You do that. I’ll… stall for you or something. Hurry up.”

“You got it,” Akira winked in her direction, which looked like a sphynx cat having a seizure given his swollen cheek.

Futaba watched him run up the stairs and turned to the door, fearing what the confrontation might bring. Although she wasn’t joking about fleeing with Akira, it certainly wasn’t her favourite option and would much rather just stay where she was. So she slowly headed for the door, opening them and stepping into the broad daylight. She looked around and saw a now familiar pair of people. Sitting on the bench, the girl slowly talking to Sakamoto, probably keeping him calm.

She was surprised the blonde was able to detain him, already respecting her for the way she handled the situation. She didn’t know if she herself would be able to do that in case Akira went rogue. Even before he moved here he was a sassy, dramatic and especially confident person, but after his parents started having money problems and he had to move here, his confidence slowly started oozing away, like a spirit leaving his body, being replaced with worry.

And although she still sometimes saw the spark of old Akira in him, she was still worried for the dumbass. With the way he has been acting today, worrying about getting caught by the police it surprised her just how much he actually changed since childhood. She wanted to help him in every way she could and she knew Akira was aware of how much anxiousness he is holding in himself lately, and that was already a start.

With that thought in mind she slowly stepped towards the pair, waving a little before stopping in front of them. The girl looked at her cautiously, as if she didn’t exactly know what to think of the redhead, but gave a small nod before removing her hand from the boy’s shoulders.

“Hi, I’m Futaba. I’m Akira’s cousin.”

“So you were in on it too, huh? Where is that son of a bitch now, did he tuck his tail away and run?” Sakamoto snapped at her, making her take a step back and holding up her hands in a peace offering.

“Hey, calm thyself cupcake, he just had to go grab something. He should be here any minute. We need to talk, yes, but calmly. Let us explain ourselves.”

The guy snorted and Futaba shifted her weight from one foot to another in anxiousness as the ponytail girl regarded her with a stern look. With her piercing blue eyes practically peeling her layers off, she felt like the girl already knew all her secrets and what would make her tick. Which wasn’t very reassuring in the current situation.

“I’m Ann. And this is Ryuji. We can start with that,” she said, still carefully looking at Futaba, no smile in sight.

At this moment they saw Akira slowly walking in their direction, like he was just taking an afternoon stroll and not meeting a person whose house he had broken into a day ago.

“Hello, and I’m Akira,” he started in a calm tone, not revealing that he may be anxious at all.

“She already told us. Now start explainin’,” Ryuji said shooting electric bolts out of his eyes that were hitting Akira right between the eyes.

“Yes, I will, just give me a minute,” Akira started, looking down at his feet.

“You don’t got a minute. You should be glad I haven’t called the cops on your ass yet,” the blond grumbled, not removing his eyes from the boy in question.

At that statement, both Futaba’s and Akira’s eyes trained themselves on Ryuji, looking at him in somewhat of a surprise and in their stomachs a bit of hope started to blossom.

“Yet!” Ann repeated, and then motioned with her hand for them to start explaining.

“Okay. So… where should we begin?..”

“Maybe at the part where you tell me why you wanted to steal from my goddamn house!” Ryuji snapped startling Ann sitting next to him. ”Sorry” he grumbled, nudging her arm.

“We… I… was stealing from your house to get some money. Lately there have been many people coming into the café, crying about how they got scammed for millions. Not to mention the many homeless people on the streets with zero money to support themselves. My parents aren’t that wealthy and all of this made us think about how many people are at the bottom of the food chain, only being used by others. So I started stealing from people with a lot of money, people who take it for granted and don’t pay attention to the poor,” started Akira slowly choosing his words, hoping none of them would anger the blond.

“He is not the only one to blame. I was the one providing information about the houses, hacking into the cameras and alarms. I’m sorry,” added Futaba, feeling genuinely ashamed although her intentions were nothing but pure from the start of this whole thing.

“So that’s why cameras didn’t catch anything. I was wonderin’ what went wrong,” Ryuji said, still looking angry but not on the verge of snapping anymore.

While Akira was explaining the whole story, Futaba thought she saw a flicker of recognition in Ann’s eyes, like she understood the thinking behind their actions. So Futaba decided to focus on her, try to get the girl on her side if only for just a bit.

“We never really thought about ourselves while doing this,” She said, looking at Ann with newfound courage. “I understand how it seems wrong, but if you look at all the people only living in carton boxes, nowhere to go when the rain starts pouring and then watch the wealthy walk past them like they don’t even exist, I don’t really think what we were doing was that awful. Every penny we stole was given to another person. We kept nothing for ourselves.”

“So you stole from other houses before you raided mine.” Ryuji said, scrunching his nose, like he was deciding what to think.

Akira nodded, “Yeah, we did.”

"But you know, there is a big flaw in what you are doin’,” Ryuji said, anger still very much apparent on his face. “You steal from ANY wealthy house. You don’t go for the people who scam, or for egotistical celebrities, you go for ANY rich person. And let me tell you, my mom scammed no one to get to where she is now. She did it all by herself with hard work and many sacrifices.”

With how earnest he was and how his voice softened when talking about his mother, Akira had no doubt that she was a hero to him, and it didn’t sound like that was a wrong move on his part.

Futaba frowned, glancing down at her feet, “You’re right. And we already thought of that, but it is much tougher to steal from people who got their money illegally and by scamming people, because they are much more scared of losing it. There are more cameras, safes, alarms and even bodyguards, which we are not able to tackle alone.

If we had more people helping us, we could split the tasks like distracting the guard and being on the lookout. I can’t do all these things by myself and Akira therefore has a much harder time doing the job. At first we wanted to focus on those people, but we just couldn’t. Honestly, it’s still eating us up inside but we thought at least we were trying to do something. But you are right. That still wasn’t the correct way of going at it.”

Ryuji regarded her for a second and some anger dissipating from him like smoke. He looked at Akira and watched his features, probably wondering what he should say next.

“I- get why you decided to act on your ideas. I mean hell, it sounds kinda awesome, like real-life Robin Hoods,” he said slowly, searching their reactions, a small smile playing at his lips, which quickly turned into a frown once again. Akira could see him fighting with himself, his face revealing practically everything he was thinking, making it child’s play to work out what kind of person he was. He could see that Ryuji did not trust them not even a little bit, at least not yet, and he wasn’t really surprised at this revelation. But he could also see that he was not blind to other’s way of living, which probably meant he was not born with a silver spoon in his ass.

That’s when he remembered his right pocket, pulling out the box with earrings. Now, this part he was nervous about again. Returning what he stole just a day ago from him, in person? That was not exactly on his to-do list. But he had a feeling that it would be best to return it while he still had the chance. If he listened to what his gut was telling him, it always turned out okay and he did not want to stop now.

“This is a pair of earrings I took from your house yesterday. I- wanted to return them while I had the chance. We kind of wanted to return them to your house anyway, but now that you’re here...” Akira said, extending his arm for Ryuji to take the box.

Ryuji’s face contorted in anger again, making Akira think that maybe his gut wasn’t right this time. Then Ann took the box, placed it in Ryuji’s lap and patted his knee, making his attention snap to her and their eyes seemed to communicate on a whole nother level, as it looked like they were having a string of conversations thrown around. Akira was fairly sure that some of Ryuji’s sentences comprised of only curse words meant for Akira, but he decided not to dwell on that.

After about twenty seconds of awkward silence and an intense staring competition, Ryuji sighed and got to his feet.

“Alright. Thanks for returning it, I guess you making this decision proves you’re not that bad,” he decided to say and then pulled up Ann too, who said almost zero to nothing for the whole duration of the exchange.

By now Akira’s packet of ice had already melted and a small puddle of water was forming at his feet. He could only imagine how awful the swelling looked on his face, but considering he only got away with a punch to his face and pride, and not with the whole police force on his tail, he was quite content with the way things ended. But this track of thought made him remember that whoa, he actually wasn’t going to prison.

“Wait,” he said, shooting a confused look Ryuji’s way and stopping him in his tracks. ”you said you didn’t call the police. Why not? Not that I’m complaining, I’m just curious.”

“Oh yeah, that…” Ryuji remembered, lowering his head and scratching at his neck. “I’m not good with cops. Kinda didn’t want them on my back, I guess.” He finished, showing Akira that there was a lot more to that sentence than that.

But he wasn’t going to push it, they were barely acquaintances, much less friends that would tell each other that kind of stuff. So he only nodded and started walking back towards the café.

“Well, thanks,” he decided to say as a farewell, when Futaba’s hand stopped him from making another step. She gently turned him back around and kindly regarded Ann and Ryuji.

“Would you guys maybe still stop by the café? We kind of owe it to you,” She asked with a gentle smile and waited for their reply.

“Thanks, but I don’t think we’ll go in today,” Ann said, now a genuine smile gracing her lips, making her look much younger than she gave the impression of being before. “But maybe some other time. I hear the coffee here is amazing. Do you guys know the owner?”

“He’s my dad,” Futaba answered with a proud look. “When you want to stop by and have a cup of coffee, you just tell him that you are Ann and Ryuji, our friends, and you’ll get it on the house. Probably not only the first time. I hope you stop by again. And thanks for hearing us out” she added after a thought, encapsulating everything Akira was thinking. Then they turned around together and walked back into the café.

“Well. This was eventful.” Futaba said after stepping into the warmth of the café, smelling the fresh aroma of coffee, clearing their minds and relaxing them.

“An understatement of the year,” snorted Akira and went to the fridge to look for some ice.

Meanwhile Futaba told her Dad about Ann and Ryuji, telling him not to worry, that Ryuji punched Akira and now they are friends. She also mentioned that Sojiro was to give them coffee on the house the next time they come around, and with that she skipped upstairs to Akira’s room, already grabbing the remote controller and switching between channels while waiting for Akira to join her.

Meanwhile Akira grabbed a fistful of ice cubes, put them in a towel and headed upstairs, wondering which movie Futaba will choose for them to watch. As he got upstairs, his mind flickered back to the boy wearing his emotions on a sleeve, figuring he wouldn’t be opposed to the idea of seeing him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why are the chapters getting longer and longer, what is this sorcery? :O  
> I won't be able to update regularly for a while because I'm studying for my driver's license and my ass don't wanna fail so I'll probably just work in spurts.  
> Tell me what you think, write a comment because they give me life istg  
> Potato, out!


	4. Chapter 4

Akira woke up with a groan, slowly sitting up in his bed. Yesterday Akira and Futaba decided to play video games until 2 am after talking things over. Futaba was still sound asleep next to him. She was too lazy to go home yesterday and decided to sleep over, kicking off the bed covers at the dead of night, making Akira pick them off the ground.

Futaba usually slept for a fairly long time and because he knew she isn’t waking up any time soon, he decided to shower in the meantime and prepare them breakfast downstairs.

So he picked out his clothes and headed for the bathhouse. He put on a blue sweater he bought for himself a while ago and a pair of black jeans. He looked at himself in the mirror and guessed he doesn’t look half bad if you overlook the giant bruise at the side of his face. But considering what he was wearing today, he guessed the bruise matched with the clothes and shrugged it off.

In the café, he started brewing coffee and preparing breakfast, some pancakes for both him and Futaba. Some customers were already in the café, drinking their first cup of coffee. Sojiro, standing behind the counter, gave him a small nod and a smile in recognition as Akira picked up the plates with pancakes and headed upstairs.

He put the food on the table and stepped over to the bed, where Futaba was still quietly snoring. He sat down next to her and shook her awake.

“Futaba, good morning! I made some pancakes for breakfast.”

The girl groaned and put a pillow over her head, so Akira had to yank it out of her hands.

“Come onnn, it’s already half past ten in the morning, you slept long enough!”

“Half past ten!? It’s like you don’t even know me, Akira, that’s like you waking up at four in the morning. And even so, I don’t suppose you have my cup of coffee with you.”

“Your daily dose of coffee is coming right up. Just be sure to be up when I come back, or I will be forced to throw you off the bed.

At that Futaba grumbled and raised her head, “Yeah, yeah, just get me my coffee.”

“Will do, madam,” Akira smiled and went downstairs. When he got to the coffee machine and picked up their cups, Sojiro stepped up to him and said good morning, talking in a hushed tone.

“That boy from yesterday, he’s here. I hope you haven’t started some kind of trouble, young man. Futaba told me to give him and his friend a cup of coffee on the house, but he refused. And I don’t see that girl with him today. I don’t know what he’s here for, but I guessed I should tell you.”

Akira flinched, asking himself what Ryuji is doing here again, and at this hour no less. But he figured it isn’t really that early anymore. And it isn’t his problem anyway. But he decided to still say hello, see if Ryuji is still mad or in other ways prone to punch him in the face. He still felt the boy’s fist on his cheek, wincing at the thought of getting another one of those bruises planted on his face.

Putting down the coffee mugs, he carefully stepped to the far end corner of the café, where he saw the blond looking down at the table, shaking his leg and tracing invisible patterns on the table with his index finger.

Today he was wearing a bright yellow T-shirt and black track pants. Akira had to confess, Ryuji was obviously more than a bit attractive, only the serious expression on his face dampening his features. Akira guessed his hair isn’t actually naturally blond, as he saw his roots show just a little bit and even then, his dark brown eyes didn’t really match with the light colour of his hair. Stepping even closer, Akira now saw some sweat pools forming under his arms and Akira supposed Ryuji had been running or doing some other kind of sport before coming here.

Now the fair-haired boy looked up, surprised he saw someone standing next to his coffee table.

“Oh, it’s you,” Ryuji said and looked down at his lap, shifting on his chair.

“Hello to you too. And, not that it’s really any of my business, but, what are you doing here?” Akira asked, awkwardly looking around the café.

Ryuji grimaced, looking around the coffee shop, “Isn’t it obvious? I came here to get coffee. That’s what people normally come here to do.”

Akira snorted, “See, that would have been a viable excuse, but unfortunately for you, the owner of this very coffee shop told me you turned down his offer of the coffee.”

“I knew I shouldn't have come here,” Ryuji sighed, slowly standing up.

Akira sighed, registering that wasn’t the right thing to say because it obviously made him uncomfortable and want to scramble.

“No, sorry, please, stay. I just want to know what you are doing here. You have to admit, that is a reasonable question,” Akira decided to apologise.

“Uhh, yeah. Can we talk somewhere else? In private maybe?” The blond answered, cautiously looking at the other boy and wincing when he saw the extent of his punch yesterday.

Akira self-consciously placed his hand on the bruise and gestured for Ryuji to follow him. When he got to the counter, he took his and Futaba’s coffee and guided the other boy up the stairs.

When he got to the top, Futaba was already sitting at the table, spinning on his chair and looking at the ceiling. When she heard footsteps drawing nearer, she started chastising.

“Where were you for this long, I thought I was going to die of bore…” Her voice died in her throat as she noticed Ryuji looking around the room behind Akira. Akira smiled tentatively at her and placed the cup in front of her, taking a sip from his own and then searching for a place to sit down.

Futaba silently sent a mirage of questions his way before turning to Ryuji, who was still helplessly standing at the top of the stairs.

“Hi, um… you can sit over there,” she gestured for him to sit at the sofa. “Not that I mind, but… what are you doing here?” she added after a thought and Ryuji smiled a bit to himself at that question.

“That’s what he asked me like five minutes ago. I dunno. I guess I wanted to talk to you.”

“About what exactly?” Futaba questioned, carefully looking over to Akira who positioned himself at the foot of his bed, looking down at his cup.

“I… I dunno, just give me a second,” Said the blond, obviously having a hard time focusing, because he didn’t think that far ahead what he wanted to say to them once he got here.

“Sojiro did give you coffee, right? I told him to give you a cup on the house-“

“Yeah, he offered. I refused. Coffee’s kinda Ann’s thing. Too bitter for me,” Ryuji laughed awkwardly, scratching his neck.

Akira could see he hadn’t quite forgiven them yet but was trying to find out what to think of them. He still looked at them cautiously but wasn’t practically fuming at the mouth at the sight of them, which was an improvement. Not that Akira would really hold it against him if he was still angry. They did break into his house just two days ago. Now that he was thinking about it, this whole charade certainly sounded pretty messed up.

“Ah, so she wanted to check out this place yesterday, that’s why you were here,” Akira drew conclusions and Ryuji turned his head towards him, giving him a curt nod.

“Yeah, she did. Well anyways… I don’t really know how to start this. I came here with the offer of some of my money to you. I registered yesterday your parents are in a bad place, and believe it or not, I do try to help people. You did steal from me and I’m still furious about it, but I get it. And I would like to help in some way. “

Akira held his gaze for a while, making Ryuji squirm under his piercing gaze. Then he shook his head.

“No, thanks. Like you said yesterday, we shouldn’t have tried to steal from you. We talked a bit after that and decided to stop with this whole thing.

We don’t have enough people to steal from criminals and scammers, and it’s not right for us to steal from people like your mom. So we decided to stop. We are honestly very sorry to have stolen from you. Although our intentions were nothing but pure, I get how it can’t be right just because of that.”

Ryuji looked taken aback, shooting his eyes from the boy to the girl and started bouncing his leg again.

At that Futaba took the cup of coffee to her lips, tasting the now cold beverage and grimacing in Akira’s direction, “Yeesh, what were you doing, brewing it in the refrigerator? This coffee is colder than my soul!”

Akira snorted and took the cup from her hands, putting it on the table, “then don’t drink it.”

The girl looked affronted, picking up the cup again.

“It is not that easy, you weirdo! I cannot deal with this kind of stuff this early in the morning if I don’t get my dose!”

Akira glanced at the now forgotten pancakes, wondering how cold those must have got while they were talking.

“It’s eleven o’clock, it’s not morning anymore. And I’m hungry. We should start eating. Do you want some?” Akira gestured to Ryuji, offering him a piece of his cold pancake.

Ryuji snapped out of his thoughts. He has obviously been deep in thought for a while now and Akira wasn’t sure if he heard their banting.

“Umm, no thanks. I already ate before I went running,” Ryuji answered absent-mindedly. Akira noted that he was right when he predicted Ryuji went for a jog.

“But umm, if we’re still on the topic… what if I join you?”

Akira started choking on his bite, obviously not expecting Ryuji to offer his help in stealing from people, when he was the one getting stolen from just two days before.

“You-what?” Futaba asked profoundly, bulging out her eyes.

“I want to join you. If we only steal from those who deserve it, I want to join you.”

The other two just stared at Ryuji for some time. Then they heard footsteps coming closer and up the stairs. Then a mop of blue, shoulder-length hair showed up.

“Hello, Futaba, I came to ask for your Power Rangers figurines. I want to put them in different poses and try to draw their emotions.”

Akira confusedly looked at Futaba for an explanation, but he didn’t get any. So he glanced back at the boy in question and slowly formed his sentence.

“Hi, Yusuke, it’s nice to see you again. How have you been these past few days?”

“Oh hello Akira, I have been doing fine, although I am irritated that my slump hasn’t gone away yet.”

”So that’s why you want my figurines? Inari, I told you not to touch them considering the last time you got your hands on them, you decapitated them to portray the sorrow of losing thing important to someone. You drew me crying over their poor bodiless heads!” Futaba scolded, standing up from her chair and coming up next to Ryuji who was just staring at Yusuke like he suddenly grew another head with four eyes on his back.

“Yusuke, this is Ryuji. Ryuji, Yusuke.”

“Uhm, hi,” Ryuji greeted, waving his arm in salutation.

“Hello, I’m Yusuke, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” The taller boy said, looking disinterested but still stretched out his arm for Ryuji to shake.

When they got over the pleasantries, Yusuke turned his attention back to Futaba, waiting for her give him the figurines. Futaba sighed and took her jacket from the chair.

“Wait here, I’ll bring them. I’ll be back quickly,” she waved her goodbye and skipped down the stairs.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Akira stepped over to Ryuji and sat down next to him on the sofa, Yusuke regarding them for a second before deciding to sit on Akira’s bed.

“So… you really want to join us.” Akira started tentatively, looking down at his shoes.

“Yeah… you said if more people helped you, you could get back at those who deserve it,” Ryuji said carefully, glancing at Yusuke who was staring at the ceiling.

“Don’t worry, he’s good,” Akira assured him. “We helped him some time ago, stole his mother’s painting back from a douche that said it was his.” He looked at Yusuke who nodded slowly, his every gesture looking graceful and deliberate.

“Yes, they helped me in my time of need, and for that, I am for always in their debt.”

“So you really do help others. It’s reassuring to hear, that I’m not just offering my help to some money grubbers.”

“You still thought of us that way?”

“Can you really blame me?” was Ryuji’s answer and Akira shrugged, because no, he really couldn’t.

So they stared at each other for a few short moments and Akira registered that Ryuji’s eyes looked really pretty when they were not glazed over with fury.

Then Futaba reappeared in the room, handing Yusuke a bag with figurines in them.

“Thank you. I will return them to you when I finish painting.”

Futaba grimaced, looking scared for her babies, “Yeah, yeah, just… don’t repaint them. Or decapitate them again. Or do anything else that you have a suspicion I will punch you for doing.”

Yusuke bowed his head and started for the stair when Ryuji called behind him.

“Hey, um, dude, do you think I’m making the right choice helping them?”

Yusuke stopped in his tracks and looked him dead in the eyes, “Yes, they are the best people I have ever met. But if you wish to help them in their justice, please take care of the sexual tension hanging over your heads. I have been here for only fifteen minutes, and I felt like my head was going to explode.”

Futaba, Ryuji and Akira all looked at him dumbfounded, not knowing what to say to that.

After he saw the looks on their faces, he hummed and turned back downstairs.

“Well, maybe it is still too soon for that. Goodbye.”

After Yusuke left, Futaba shifted in her place and scrunched up her nose.

“That was weird. Don’t mind him. Yusuke says a lot of weird stuff non-stop. You get used to it. Although he can still catch you off-guard sometimes. He just sees things that aren’t really there sometimes, don’t worry about it.” She fixed her bangs and walked over to the plant in front of her.

“So… you want to join us. It’s decided?” She asked after a few more moments of awkward silence.

Ryuji sighed and got up from his seat, “Yeah. I’d like to help. Just tell me when you need me. D’you want my phone number?” He said and looked at the still sitting Akira.

“Yeah, please. We’ll message you when something comes up,” Akira answered and handed over his phone. Ryuji typed in his phone number and waved goodbye before walking downstairs himself.

The other boy and girl looked at one another and Futaba shrugged her shoulders.

“Do you think he’ll do well at our raids? Can we trust him?” He asked

“I don’t know. But considering he is prepared to trust us, we can try to do that in return too.” Futaba decided to say and then sat down on Akira’s bed. “We’ll just have to see how it goes. Right?”

“Right.” Akira smiled and they spent some time just basking in the comfortable silence, the pancakes and coffee long forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovelies, potato here, how are you all doing?  
> I hope you liked this chapter, I'm still figuring out where to take this story and I apologize for any mistakes, please tell me if you find any.  
> Also the comments make me indescribably happy, so please, feel free to write something!  
> Potato, out!


	5. Chapter 5

“So… what do you think should be our next move?” Futaba plopped down on the couch next to Akira. She sat on the heels of her feet and hugged her legs, looking at the boy in question with a sideways glance.

Akira scratched his head. “Well… now that it’s not just us anymore, we have to be more careful, right? Moreover, I think we should figure out what Ryuji can do. Now that I think about it, we really don’t know much about him.” He looked at Futaba and leaned back on the couch.

“That’s true. So do you think we should ask him what he can do best? I don’t need much help hacking the security, that’ll be a breeze for me. I think you need him more than I do, on the field that is. He could… act as a decoy, help you search for stuff, figure out an escape route while you steal… I don’t know. This is your thing.”

“Now that I think about it, we should probably talk about this stuff with Ryuji present, right?” Akira laughed awkwardly. He stood up stretched his arms. He rolled his neck, which cracked and Futaba cringed at the sound and threw a pillow at him.

“Urgh, Akira, you know I hate it when you crack your neck, it’s not supposed to do that!”

Akira threw his head back and laughed. He picked up the pillow from the floor and put it back on the couch.

“Oh, I just remembered. Ryuji said we should only steal from people that deserve it. So… do you think you could search for some douchebags that match this description?“

“Right, no problem. I’ll just need a bowl of candy from downstairs for fuel. Give me half an hour and I’ll have a list prepared” Futaba nodded enthusiastically, cackling to herself.

She stood up and walked to Akira’s desk and opened her laptop. She returned to her previous sitting position, already engrossed in her new task.

Akira glanced at her and shook his head. He was heading for the stairs when Futaba called after him. “I like the gummy bears!”

“I know! Coming right up, female version of L,” he responded, pretending he didn’t hear the scandalized gasp from Futaba.

When he got downstairs, he said hi to Sojiro, glancing at how many people there were in the café. Not many. Not that he was surprised. Leblanc was not a very known place, but he liked that. Because of the lack of many people, the atmosphere in the café was always a relaxed one, making it easier for Futaba and Akira to talk about their raids.

Sojiro didn’t know what they were up to, but he must have had a hunch. It’s just too convenient sometimes to hear a person talk about how they mysteriously got all the money they lost returned after talking about it in Leblanc with the two kids present.

“Futaba asked for some gummy bears. Do we have any here? If not, I will have to go and get some from the store to not upset the queen.” Akira said, putting the back of his hand on his forehand like a maiden about to pass out.

“There have to be some in the fridge, just look around.” Sojiro chuckled.

Akira walked up to the fridge, looking at the photos on it. There were several of him and Futaba at the amusement park, or of Futaba when she was still just a child.

That’s when Akira remembered he should message Ryuji and tell him to meet up with them to talk about their target.

He took a bag of gummy bears from the refrigerator and dumped them in a glass bowl. He started walking upstairs, taking out his phone to write a message to Ryuji. He almost got to the top, but he miscalculated the number of steps and tripped on the last one. He sent his phone flying but gripped the glass bowl like it was his lifeline. He landed on the ground with a loud thunk but kept the bowl in his hands.

Futaba gasped, the loud crash bringing her back to reality and she ran to Akira’s aid. “Oh gosh, Akira are you okay? Are the gummy bears okay? Is THE PHONE OKAY?!” she started freaking out. She picked up the phone, looking for any scratches. Then she glared at the groaning Akira, who was already picking himself up from the ground, the bowl still in one piece.

“Argh, everything is okay, don’t worry. Though I think I scraped my knee pretty bad.” He hissed when he put his hand on his knee, feeling the burning sensation slowly die out.

“Thank god everything is still intact. What were you doing, typing on the phone while walking up the stairs? Who were you messaging?” Futaba opened up Akira’s phone and read through his messages. “Oh, Ryuji. Jeez-“

“Hey! You okay up there?” Sojiro called from downstairs, worry apparent in his voice.

“Yeah, I’m good, just tripped on the stair!” Akira called back.

He walked up to his desk and put the forsaken bowl of gummy bears down.

“Jeez, kid, what were you thinking?”

“I didn’t, that messes with my brain!” He called back, taking his phone out of Futaba’s hands. “I was just messaging Ryuji to meet us here today. Or I was going to, but it didn’t really work out the way I planned.” He winced.

Futaba walked back to her chair, already back to typing on her computer. “Well, at least you didn’t break your phone, bowl or your head,” she shrugged.

Akira meanwhile sat back down on the couch, typing a message on his phone.

Akira: Hi, it’s me, Akira. Was just wondering if you have time to meet up today.

“Now, we just wait for a reply.”

“That could take a while. He just went for a run not long ago.”

“Wh- wait, how do you know that? Don’t tell me you’re already stalking him. The poor guy doesn’t deserve that, Futaba.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t intend on keeping it up, I was just curious where he was at.”

“Well, at least we have a hunch about what Yusuke had in mind the other day with the sexual tension,” Akira grumbled, scratching at the sofa and putting his phone in the back pocket.

“Hey! You know full well stalking someone through their phone doesn’t necessarily equal sexual tension. Besides. I don’t think Inari was really talking about me.” She muttered the last part, but not really caring if Akira heard her.

“You don’t find anything wrong with the statement you just uttered? Really? That aside, what he said was just- just Yusuke being… well, Yusuke, really.”

“Well, yeah, but-“her sentence was cut short by a ping from Akira’s phone. The message took away all of Akira’s attention. He earnestly grabbed it and stopped listening to Futaba entirely. She knitted her eyebrows together, frowning at how Akira’s attention span is even shorter than one of a goldfish’s. She turned her look back to her computer screen with an incredulous expression when she saw Akira sporting a small smile at the corner of his lips.

“He says he can make it in half an hour,” He informed Futaba after a few seconds, typing a response on his phone and putting it away.

Futaba nodded and began looking up other names filled with rumours of them taking money from people.

The rest of their alone time was spent with Akira reading a new book he picked up at a bookstore and Futaba looking at the screen, sometimes munching on her gummy bears and humming to herself quietly.

After thirty minutes, Ryuji, true to his words, burst up the stairs, breathing heavily and sweat dripping from his forehead.

Futaba stood up alarmed while Akira only tilted his head to the side, an apparently concerned expression on his face.

“Are you okay? Was a hoard of evil rats chasing you the whole time?” Futaba asked incredulously, slowly walking up to Ryuji, who was now resting his hands on his knees.

He was dressed in running shorts and a yellow shirt without sleeves. His bleached hair that normally stood up in all directions was now plastered on his forehead. He was still taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

“No, your home was just near where I norma- wait what rats?”

“Futaba, you promised not to talk about that anymore!” Akira whined, pinching the bridge of his nose with his right hand, lifting up his glasses.

Ryuji questioningly looked from Futaba to Akira but decided not to dwell on the information for too long. He shook his head, little droplets of sweat trickling down his hair.

“Whoa there, cowboy, I’m getting you a towel,” Akira stood up from his seat and started searching through his wardrobe.

“Oh, yeah, sorry ‘bout that,” Ryuji at least had the decency to look sheepish. He shifted his weight from one foot to another and stepped back to the railing.

“No problem, don’t worry about it. But you seriously look like you were running a marathon.”

“Well, if my calculations are correct, he must’ve been running for more than an hour now. I’m not really surprised.” Futaba remarked.

Ryuji took a step back, looking slightly concerned. He accepted the towel Akira offered him and started drying his hair, looking slightly wary of the redhead sitting quirkily in her chair.

Akira shook his head, “Don’t worry about it too much, you’ll get used to it. She hacked your phone to see where you are. Don’t know how, don’t know why. She was probably just bored out of her mind.” He grumbled but made sure Futaba could still hear him.

She paid no mind to them and returned to typing on her computer with a frown gracing her features.

“Oookay… well, I’m here now, what’d ya want to talk about?” Ryuji asked, bringing his attention back to the raven-haired boy.

Akira fixed his glasses and looked at the couch. He indicated Ryuji that he can sit on it and he himself took the chair next to his bed, bringing it to the right side of the blond.

“Well, Futaba is looking into possible people we could raid houses from right now. Meanwhile, I thought we could talk about what you can do. We thought you could help with the sneaking in. finding the escape routes, being a decoy, that sort of thing. But maybe you should sit first two out. To see how things work.”

Ryuji scratched his head. “Well… I don’t really know how things work, but I’m a pretty good runner. When I was little I also practised martial arts so I can take care of myself. But I’m not good enough to take care of security guards, that’s for sure. I’m also pretty good at sneaking around. But if you want me to only watch at first, that means no guards will be involved and it’ll be easier for you.” Ryuji crossed his arms in front of him and scrunched up his nose.

Futaba turned on her chair and looked up to the ceiling. “We could ask Haru. Use her house as a sort of playground to show Ryuji the ropes.”

Akira made finger guns at her and smiled brightly. “That’s a great idea. I’ll message her right now.”

“Haru? Why would someone let you break into their house?” Ryuji asked with a confused expression.

Futaba waved her hand in a dismissing gesture. “Well, her family is pretty well-off. We have known each other for some time now. She’s really nice. And knows what we are doing. So if we tell her we’d just like to run a sort of simulation, she’d let us. The guards’ would still know nothing about it and we would just operate like we do normally. I disable security systems, Akira breaks into the house and steals. He would probably need your help throwing the guards of his trail.”

Akira contentedly put his phone back in his pocket. “There, it’s all settled. I didn’t tell her which day we were coming so that she doesn’t expect us. I just messaged we would be coming sometime this week. She’s actually pretty excited. If we get caught, she said she’ll interfere, tell the guards we’re just her friends.” He smiled, chuckling to himself. “She’s one strange girl.”

Futaba clapped her hands. “Okay, then it’s settled. Before we start to seriously use you in the field, we’ll run some tests at our friend’s house. That’s perfect.” She excitedly cackled, making Ryuji back off slightly on his couch in concern.

“We should meet up tomorrow to go over all the details. After that, we got our first break-in simulation.” Akira said, twisting a strand of hair around his finger.

Ryuji nodded, putting on a smile. “Okay, that works. It’s summer break, so I don’t have school. Well, see ya then.”

He already wanted to stand up, when Akira touched his shoulder to get his attention.

“Hey, you don’t have to go yet. You ran all the way here, might as well stay for a bit longer. You must be tired, we can get you something to drink and eat.”

“Oh, uh, well if I’m not bothering you. Sure, that sounds cool.”

Akira smiled and stood up, turning towards the stairs. “Just wait here. What do you want? Coffee? Tea? Iced tea? ”

“Uhh, just some iced tea, bitter isn’t really my thing.”

Akira nodded and headed downstairs.

Futaba bored her eyes in Ryuji, making him a shift uncomfortably in his seat. He stood up and walked over to the bookshelf, looking at different titles of books and manga. He whistled, taking out a comic book.

“Woah, I wanted to read this one for a while, but it sold out too quickly!”

Futaba’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that’s my part of the shelf. Akira doesn’t really read manga, but he lets me keep mine at his because there isn’t any more space in my room. I liked this one, actually, though the next volumes are even better in my opinion. You can borrow it if you’d like.”

“Whoa, thanks! That’s amazing, can’t wait to read it.”

“Yeah, just be careful. No tearing, crumpling, creasing, spilling liquids or putting food on it! Or I will have your head!”

Ryuji didn’t doubt her words and just obediently nodded, gently placing it down on the shelf.

Futaba watched him for a moment more.

“So… you like video games?”

He glanced at the controller in her hands and grinned.

“Do I? You’re going down”


	6. Chapter 6

When Akira returned back from getting iced tea for Ryuji, he was not that surprised when he found Futaba and Ryuji, already sprawled on the couch, playing Mario Kart.

He chuckled, seeing Futaba so invested in playing games with someone. He had never really been good at it, playing with Futaba.

“Arghh, how are you so good at this?!” Futaba screamed, bringing up her feet and chewing on the controller.

Akira snickered, “Am I interrupting something? Should I come back later?” He asks with a huge smile plastered on his face, as he steps into the room.

This brought Ryuji out of his concentration. He looked up at Akira, looking slightly troubled at the implication. “Hey man, sorry, no, we jus- wh- hey! No fair!”

The blonde jumped up in outrage, almost throwing the controller in the other direction, as Futaba started laughing. She was dancing around him, poking him and was generally being a sore winner all around.

“It was your own fault for looking away, I just took the chance and brought you to the ground where you belong!”

Akira wore an amused expression. He handed Ryuji his ice tea, bumping his shoulder lightly and shaking his head. When Futaba won, there was no stopping her boasting. Ryuji smiled, bringing the bottle of tea to his lips and slowly drinking.

“So… I see she has even you beaten, huh? I’m not really surprised, she had a lot of time on her hands for the past few years.”

“Heh, if I hadn’t looked away from the screen, I would’ve won.”

Futaba stuck out her tongue and took the controller in her hands again. “Fine, you up for round two? I’ll crush you again!”

“Oh, you’re on! Right after I drink this!”

Akira decided to sit on his chair, propping his arms on his knees and looking at the two, who were already bickering like they had known each other for decades.

When they started playing again, he had time to get lost in his thoughts, to watch their expressions without getting noticed and go over the past few days in his head.

Okay. So Ryuji decided to join them, which was good. That meant they had more manpower. If they decide to go to Haru’s house tomorrow, they can see what Ryuji can do.

Akira lost himself watching the two bicker and play the game like their lives depended on it. He saw how Ryuji bit on his tongue in concentration, his eyes glued to the screen of Akira’s old TV. He was winning again, cutting corners and playing better than Akira could ever hope to himself.

The blonde’s smile broadened as he started nearing the finish line. Futaba’s brows furrowed with annoyance, obviously baffled at how someone could be better at Mario Kart than her. It amused Akira to no end. She was always the one kicking his ass and suddenly a vulgar boy with bleached hair appears and ruins all her achievements.

He put his head in his hands, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. His thoughts started wandering. What if they get caught when stealing from someone? What if they took on too big of a job? He really wanted to help people in need, but now that he thought about it more, this maybe wasn’t the best course of action. There will always be corrupt people on the streets. They won’t be able to help all of the people anyways. Would it even be worth it? It’s not only his and Futaba’s life he is putting on the line anymore, it’s Ryuji’s, too. And he wouldn’t wish for anything to happen to him. If they get caught, some serious charges are coming their way.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He decided to go over this at a later notice, talk to Futaba and maybe Haru to figure out what to do.

“Hey, Akira, are you okay?” Futaba’s voice brought him out of his thoughts. He glanced up, noting that the race had been finished for a while now, Ryuji’s name dancing on the top of the list. So he won after all.

Now both of them were looking at him with worried expressions on their faces. Futaba leaned back on the couch slightly, tilting her head and biting the inside of her cheek in thought. She knew him better than anyone, she must see at least a little of what is going through Akira’s head. She always said he gets this sort of faraway look in his eyes whenever he is thinking of something that is connected to their raids. However, she apparently decided not to bring it up. She would probably ask about it later anyway.

“You’ve been out for a while now, man, you cool?” Asked Ryuji, propping his arm on the back of the couch. He looked so relaxed this way, a small, playful grin gracing his lips like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

“Ah, it’s nothing, just got lost in thoughts.”

Futaba looked at Ryuji. “He does that a lot, actually, you’ll get used to it.”

“All right, then, no worries. So, I have a question. Who is this Haru girl?”

“She’s a friend of ours,” informed him Futaba, cleaning her glasses with her shirt. “You know Okumura foods? The one family that owns Big Bang Burger?”

“Shit, seriously? She the daughter or something?”

“Yeah, she is,” continued Akira, rolling his head and cracking his neck. “We met her some time ago through Yusuke. Apparently, they had met when he was people watching at a pond she liked to visit. He tried to paint some ducks that were swimming around and she stood right in front of him.

When he yelled at her to scram and not disturb the scenery, she just apologized and sat right next to him. Any other sane person would probably have been at least slightly offended, but she just struck up a conversation about this art exhibit she had visited and BAM, instant friends.”

Akira laughed at that, imagining just how weird their first encounter must’ve looked like to other passers-by. The quirky artist really had a way of attracting just the most diverse kinds of people.

Ryuji looked at him with a sideways glance.

“She really is the best, one of the nicest people I have ever come across. Not a bad bone in her body. She had quite the trouble getting around town by herself sometimes. She’s pretty cute and people can be jerks. So we started to walk with her when we could. Not that she can’t take care of herself, that girl can be scary.” Akira added after a thought, shuddering at the memory of watching a horror movie with her. The way she didn’t even blink when a guy’s head was chopped off really terrified him.

“I see. She your girlfriend? You look like you’re pretty fond of her.” Ryuji inquired, scratching his head and looking at the raven in anticipation.

Now, if Akira had been drinking anything when Ryuji asked him this, he would’ve probably spit everything in his face. This guy apparently had no filter. None whatsoever and that was refreshing if he was being honest.

Futaba snickered at his side and lightly drummed her fingers. She was apparently waiting to see how Akira would react. So Akira took it like a champ.

He cleared his throat and looked down at his feet. “Ah, no actually. Just a friend. Girls aren’t really my type.”

And Akira wasn’t ashamed of it, god no. He just wasn’t used to explaining it. If someone asked, he would tell them, but it wasn’t something he cared that much about. He had other things to worry about.

Ryuji’s eyes widened and he corrected his stance. “Oh, sorry man, my bad. Shouldn’t have made assumptions.”

“Nah, that’s fine. I’m not bothered by it. But yeah, me and Haru, we’re just really good friends.”

Futaba snorted, “Yeah that boy is as straight as a roundabout. You should’ve heard what he said before he went into your house, had to make sure he wouldn’t try snoo-“

“Okay, that’s enough from you,” Akira interrupted, shooting up from his chair and clasping his hands over Futaba’s mouth, his face already growing warm. “Don’t you have your Mario Kart skills to defend?”

Futaba’s eyes glimmered with a joyful undertone and Akira took away his hand to let her talk.

“Curse you for bringing up my failure as a Mario Kart champion,” she turned to Ryuji, who was confusedly glancing between them. “Are you up for another round?”

Ryuji cleaned his throat and smiled, pushing down an apparent blush. So he wasn’t as airheaded as Akira had thought at first. He seemed to capture a lot more of what was happening around him than the raven had anticipated. He mused to himself. Ryuji’s tinted cheeks stood out more because of his bleached hair.

“Yeah, sure, you can try and defeat me, but do not think for one second you will succeed,” He said theatrically, turning in his place and taking the controller in his hands. “Hey, why don’t you play a bit too?” He asked and glanced at Akira.

Akira waved his arm dismissingly, “No thanks, I’m no good at this game. I had my fair share of getting my butt kicked from Futaba, no need for you to get in on it too.”

Futaba grumbled something under her breath and picked up the controller. She brushed her bangs out of her face to not disturb her and went back into her previous stance.

“That’s no good, C'mon, it doesn’t really matter how you do, it’s still fun!”

Akira sighed, “Well, maybe later.”

Ryuji smiled, turning to the TV screen, “Of course, and you two can come to my place sometime later, I’ve got tons of games we can try and play.”

Akira looked at him surprised. The blonde appeared to be a stranger soul than he had thought at first, considering Akira got caught stealing from him not long ago, and now he was being invited to his house, no questions asked.

Futaba cheered, throwing her hands in the air. “Hell yeah, you must have some really good things at your disposal, considering you’re loaded!”

Akira scowled at his cousin “Futaba! What the hell, you don’t just say that!” He glanced apologetically at Ryuji, but the boy couldn’t see him, already engrossed in playing. Futaba was driving right behind him. “Sorry about that, she’s a genius, but she doesn’t have a filter.”

“Heh, so like a female Sherlock, ay? It doesn’t really bother me, it’s really just facts. The blonde shrugged, but Akira noticed a slight tightening of his shoulders.

He was sure Futaba didn’t actually offend him. Ryuji seemed like he didn’t hold it against her, but it looked like some painful memories must’ve made their way to the front of his mind. It wasn’t his place to pry, and he really didn’t care that much. Ryuji looked like he had it all under control.

So he nodded and put his chair next to the couch, having fun and even playing some rounds against Ryuji and Futaba (although he lost all of them) until the sun slowly started setting and Ryuji had to get on the last train.

Akira decided to walk him to the station while Futaba went home. They walked silently for most of the way in comfortable silence. They decided to take a shortcut through the town park, and any other day, Akira would probably be scared shitless of the eerie silence, but now he felt relaxed.

The lamps were still lighting their path and it wasn’t dark enough to really pose a threat anyway. On occasion, they clumsily bumped shoulders. In the distance, they could hear cars driving by and as Akira looked at the sky, the sun was just sending the last few warm rays of sunshine their way, the sky the colour of a bleeding rose.

“Sorry again for before, I didn’t mean to butt in like that. Just kinda slipped.” Ryuji broke the silence. He kicked into the ground gently and lifted some dust with his trainers. He looked sheepish, his blonde hair a faint pink colour from the sun when Akira looked at him sideways.

“Don’t worry about it, really, I don’t mind. I’m kind of surprised you feel that much guilt over it. It was nothing.”

“I just know it can be hard if people make assumptions. It can get quite tiring.”

Akira regarded him with a closed off expression, not really knowing how to respond. Ryuji’s remark really hadn’t made him feel that awkward, it was what it was. But he was guessing Ryuji wanted to be sure to not hurt his feelings, which was kind of sweet. So he smiled and tapped his hand on his shoulder in a silent, comforting gesture.

“Hey. It’s already forgotten.” He decided and started walking a bit faster, making Ryuji run for a bit to keep up. So they walked in comfortable silence to the train station.

“Well, I’ll see you later. Oh, and, when you have time, swing by my place, ‘kay? We can play some more video games. You’re not as bad as you say you are.” The blonde said, grinning at Akira. Then he turned around and stepped on the train, not looking back, an easy beat to his steps.

After the black haired boy saw the train leave, he returned home and checked his messages, responding to Futaba’s.

Futaba: Heya, you got home okay? (¬‿¬)

Akira: Yep, just now.

Akira: How do you feel making preparations to go to Okumura’s house tomorrow, and then raiding it the day after?

Futaba: The almighty Oracle agrees ｡◕‿‿◕｡

Akira: Also, Haru said we can have the drills more times than once so we can try twice, just to be sure.

Futaba: Sounds cool.

Futaba: Oh, I was wondering.

Futaba: What were you thinking about before? When you get that expression on your face, it’s never anything good ಠ~ಠ

Akira: I’m fine, nothing to worry about. I’ll explain tomorrow.

Futaba: Yeah, you better!

Futaba: Well, night till then (づ￣ ³￣)づ

Akira: Goodnight, Futaba :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovelies, how are you doing?  
> So I was thinking (burned a few brain cells because of it) and I decided to post a new chapter every third or fourth day.  
> After August, I will probably start updating once a week or once every two weeks, because of school starting.  
> If you liked it, maybe leave kudos or comment, and if you didn't, leave a comment anyways, tell me what I can do to improve  
> Potato, out! <3


	7. Chapter 7

Akira and Futaba have been standing around for a while now. It was almost two in the afternoon already, and they have decided to go to a restaurant for a quick lunch break before Ryuji came to join them.

The sun was scorching hot, and Akira could almost see how Futaba’s glasses started to melt on her face, while his hair was sticking to his neck. It was one of the hottest summer days they have experienced this year, and it showed. People around them were walking around like a truck has just hit their puppy and water droplets from the nearby fountain seemed to just dissipate in the air after making contact with the sun rays.

Futaba groaned. She plopped down in her booth, spreading over the table like a puddle. Akira took up the seat opposite her. He leaned back on the tiles of the wall, relishing in the cold. The restaurant they decided to visit was one of his favourites. He liked to study there when he had the time because it wasn’t as crowded as other places.

The atmosphere proved to be beneficial for him, and he loved the tea the restaurant offered. The coffee wasn’t bad either, but ever since Akira had tried Sojiro’s coffee, no other could hold a candle to it. As Akira glanced around, he could see a lot more people have decided to come, probably take refuge from the giant furious orb in the sky trying to fry them alive.

When the waitress came their way, they ordered a drink and decided to get something to eat. Akira wasn’t a big fan of steak, but the one they sold was absolutely phenomenal, so he never missed a chance to order it.

After they regained a sliver of consciousness, they started to slowly munch on their food. Futaba seemed to get some of her energy back quite quickly.

“So… what did you say you wanted to talk about from the other day?” She asked. She dangled her legs over her seat like a small child and barely managed to gulp down her food before talking. Her eyes shined in interest. She was a pretty good listener, contrary to popular belief, and Akira rather liked talking with her about things that bothered him.

“It’s about us stealing. I was thinking if it really is the best course of action. We’re not the only ones in danger anymore. Now we can get even Ryuji in trouble. I guess I’m just having some doubts.” He answered, drinking some of his iced tea. The liquid spilt down his throat, leaving a pleasantly cold feeling in its wake. If only the portions of the tea weren’t so small.

Futaba hummed in recognition. She ordered fries for herself, dipping them in ketchup. When she popped two of them in her mouth, she looked up to the ceiling. She was deep in thought again, drifting into the black hole that was her mind.

“Well, he himself said he wanted to help us. Even asked Yusuke if it was a good idea. And… I have to admit, I was thinking about this too. But he decided he wants to help us on his own.”

“What if he just doesn’t know any better?”

“I think we should first go through Okumura’s house. Then we find our next target, and if he decides he doesn’t want to go with us at any point, we don’t stop him. Although if we lose him, we won’t be able to steal from the person we wanted, considering the higher security rate. “

“That’s okay. I’m actually starting to feel bad about this whole stealing thing. Do you think it would be best if we stop everything if Ryuji steps out?”

Futaba scratched her chin and scrunched up her nose. “Wow, Akira, where did this come from? Did you suddenly develop a conscience? Did what Ryuji said really get to you this much?”

“Well… yeah, it actually did.”

She regarded him for a moment and then shrugged her shoulders. “Well, that’s fine by me. If you’re out, then I’m out. You know we’re a team. If anything happens, I’m there with you.”

Akira smiled. He felt like a big bag of worry just rolled off his shoulders and his mind felt clearer. She was right. They were in this together. He had nothing to worry about for the time being.

“Thanks. That really means a lot.”

“Yeah, yeah, you know it. Now eat,” Futaba said and gestured to Akira’s plate that was still full of food. “You can’t eat a cold steak. What kind of monster are you?”

So they sat and ate their food in silence, like many times before. There was something different about how eating food in this restaurant with Futaba made him feel calm, slipping into a relaxed stance, shoulders hunching forward a little bit.

Futaba was just finishing up her fries when Akira’s phone chimed.

Ryuji: Hey man, I’m at the central street rn, where u at?

Akira: The restaurant on the left, next to that second-hand bookstore.

Ryuji: k, be right there. Oh btw, brought Ann with.

Akira sucked in a breath. To be fair, the girl scared him a bit when they first talked and up until now, he still couldn’t forget the uneasy feeling he got when her blue eyes looked at him and he felt dread slipping into his very core like she was just about ready to dissect his whole being.

“What is it?” The redhead inquired, tilting her head to the side.

“Oh, well… Ann is apparently coming with Ryuji to this meeting.”

Futaba whistled. “You don’t say. Then your reaction is totally valid. Her glare scares the bejeezus out of me.”

Akira snorted and put down his phone. The bell above the restaurant door chimed and in stepped two blonde heads, looking around. Akira waved them over and Ryuji grinned at them, practically skipping over to their booth. He sat down next to Futaba and bumped her shoulder.

“Yo, how’ve you been? Long time no see, eh?” He stole a fry off Futaba’s plate, which earned him a scandalised look from the other girl. She then proceeded to pull the plate away from Ryuji and out of his reach.

Ann meanwhile awkwardly sat down next to Akira. She smiled attentively and brushed her ponytail out of the way.

“Hello. Don’t know if you remember me, I’m Ann.”

“Yeah, I remember, Akira.” The boy responded and nodded in her direction. Okay. So she hadn’t yet tried to skewer him, which was a start. He slowly puffed out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

Ryuji then decided it was a perfectly sane thing to steal a piece of Akira’s steak. He looked absolutely bamboozled when Akira gasped in outrage and took his fork, stabbing Ryuji in the hand. The blonde yelped, but didn’t put down the piece of steak, and rather swiftly put it in his mouth before cradling his arm like a baby.

“You asscracker! Did no one teach you that sharing is caring?”

“Oh, I care. That’s why I didn’t push the fork up your nostrils.” Akira said threateningly, waving the fork in front of Ryuji’s face in a warning.

“Anyways,” interjected Futaba, raising her hands with the palms facing outwards. “How come you decided to come with, Ann?”

“Oh, well… I wanted to hear what you had to say. Ryuji told me everything. I don’t know if I trust you guys yet, and I just wanted to hear everything for myself. Ryuji can make some dumb decisions on the spot, so I don’t want him to get in trouble.” She curled a strand of her hair around her finger and tilted her head to the side, looking at Futaba like she was sizing her up.

Futaba regarded her before the words fully sank in. then she bulged out her eyes and looked at Ryuji, shock written all over her face.

“Wait, you told her? What were you thinking?”

Ryuji waved his arm. “Chillax, she’s fine. She wouldn’t rat us out. And of course I’d tell her, I tell her everything.”

At that Akira knitted his eyebrows, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. He tells her everything? That doesn’t sound like the safest idea.

Ann shook her head. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. I just need to see if he’ll be in good hands.” She looked sideways to catch Akira’s gaze and raised her eyebrows.

They explained to Ann everything about stealing from Okumura’s house before they go onto anything bigger.

“I won’t let anything happen to Ryuji,” Akira assured her, a serious expression on his face. He tried to send the determination he felt to Ann via his eyeballs, and it apparently worked, as she relaxed her shoulders and grabbed the glass of water she ordered in her hands, cooling them in the process.

“Okay. Then I guess I’ll leave everything to you. But just so you know, if anything happens to him, I will have your head on a stick the next morning.” She raised a finger to their faces, sending one of her glares their way.

Surprisingly, the look didn’t wear any more hostility and although Akira believed her promise on decapitating him if anything went wrong, he could see the tension and distrust were slowly lifting.

He shook his head and smiled warmly at her. “If anything happens, I will let you.”

Ann turned to him, an unreadable expression on her face. She obviously wasn’t expecting a reply like this. She searched his gaze and looked at every crevice of his face before returning her eyes to lock with the raven’s.

Her eyes blinked a few times and it looked like a kind of recognition dawned on her face. She then smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

“Okay. Thank you. But I have another question. Do you have the proper clothes for this operation? I heard you had been dressed in all black the day you broke into Ryuji’s house.” She looked Akira up and down. “And from what I can see, that isn't a problem for you. But Ryuji… well, let’s just say his darkest shirt is a light brown.”

“Wh- hey! I have dark clothes!”

“No, no you don’t,” The blonde girl shook her head. “You wear sports clothes every day everywhere, and they consist of neon colours.”

Ryuji lowered his head and grumbled something under his breath that vaguely described Ann as a snake with less fashion sense than a jar of dirt.

Akira looked at him amusedly while Ann not so discreetly kicked Ryuji in the shin under the table. The blonde hissed, clutching at his leg. “Domestic abuse! Domestic abuse!”

Akira scratched his head. “You’re right, we didn’t think about that. I guess we should go to some stores to check things out.” His eyes lit up. “Oh, that reminds me. We should get you a ski mask, too. I don’t like to wear it myself, but if we’re working in bigger numbers now, maybe it would be best to wear one now.”

He nodded to himself, already thinking of the things that needed to be bought for Ryuji.

Futaba sat on the heels of her feet, “Oh yeah, and an earpiece for communicating. And a pocket knife. Akira usually has one just in case.”

Ann glanced at her nervously. “Just… just in case? “

“Ah no, don’t worry. No blood is being shed. Just if he has to cut open a box, for example, blinds, that sort of thing. Although he practically doesn’t use it.” She waved in her direction. “Some lock picks could come in handy too.

Ryuji was now sporting a huge grin on his face. He pumped his hand in the air in victory. “Hell yeah, this will be awesome! Let’s go!”

Ann dejectedly looked at him and shook her head. “Then I will leave it to you. But I have to go now, I told Shiho I will come to her place when I’m done here. Have fun okay?” She smiled warmly and stood up, hugging Ryuji briefly.

Akira smiled when he saw the relaxed smile dancing on Ryuji’s face. “Yes mother, I will” He replied jokingly and she lightly bumped his shoulder.

After Akira finished his steak that looked like a cold clump of sadness on his plate and they headed for a sports store.

When Akira had Ryuji try on some black shirts with long sleeves, Ryuji retaliated.

“Are you crazy? There’s no way I’m wearing long sleeves in this clusterfuck of a weather!” He cried out indignantly, heading to the part of the store that had the summer clothes hanged out.

Akira huffed out a breath and Futaba shrugged and jokingly poked Akira in the ribs.

“No way are we gonna convince him. Just roll with it.”

After trying on different shirts, Ryuji decided on a black one without sleeves that showed off his toned hands. While Akira resisted the urge to look the blonde up and down, Futaba had no reservations. She whistled and crossed her arms in front of her, staring approvingly.

“Not gonna lie, it looks really good! All your other shirts aren’t this skin tight. What have you been hiding from the world?” she jokingly remarked.

Akira looked at her like she just grew two heads, one with four tails and the other with toenails for hair. He couldn’t believe his cousin sometimes. Ryuji cleaned his throat and grinned, a bit of red coming to his cheeks.

He apparently blushed pretty easily and Akira found that endearing. He probably wasn’t used to compliments like these either, though the black haired boy couldn’t fathom why.

“Ann would’ve probably been proud of you,” Futaba continued.

Ryuji snorted, “Nah, no way. Her parents are fashion designers, black is the bane of her existence.”

“You seemed so close to her. Just how long have you known each other for?”

“I’ve known her since middle school. But back then, we didn’t really talk. We only started to hang out a few years ago.” Akira’s stomach clenched again uncomfortably with how Ryuji talked about Ann. He obviously wore a lot of admiration for the girl, his eyes sparkling and grinning widely while thinking of her.

“We actually came closer together because of Shiho, her girlfriend. At the time Shiho only talked to us separately, but then she decided we should all hang out together sometimes, and Ann and I just clicked. She’s one of the best people I know. Scratch that, she’s the best.”

He rubbed at his neck embarrassedly and looked at his shoes.

Akira blinked a few times, going over what Ryuji had said. They sounded so close, he could swear they must’ve been friends since childhood, or at least dating for a while now. The pit of his stomach unclenched and a warm feeling spread through his body. He was happy for Ryuji, very little people got to know someone they could trust like he did Ann.

He cleared his throat and nodded in Ryuji’s direction.

“Okay then. You’re getting this shirt, take two. I’ll bring you the ski mask and we’re done.”

Ryuji nodded excitedly and returned to the cubicle to change back into his regular clothes. Futaba glanced at Akira and grinned from ear to ear.

“Ooo hello there, this is new! I saw you checking him out!”

Akira looked at her with a raised eyebrow that was saying, ’really? You’re one to talk.’ Before he averted his gaze and started walking to the counter with the ski mask in hand, Futaba right behind him.

“Yeah, he looked good, I’m not blind. And I’m not childish, either,” He added pointedly, receiving an offended scoff.

“Whatever. At least I tell it how I see it.”

Akira hummed absentmindedly and after Ryuji appeared next to them with the shirts in hand, Akira wanted to take them from him to buy them. Ryuji turned his back towards him, clutching the shirts to himself.

Akira made a confused sound at the back of his throat. “What the hell are you doing? We have to pay these.”

“No way am I letting you pay for my clothes. I got enough money to last me half a lifetime. And give me the ski mask, too,” He said after a beat and snatched the mask from Akira’s hands.

Akira wanted to protest. Ryuji had to buy these things because of Akira and Futaba. It didn’t seem right to Akira to have Ryuji pay for these clothes, but he decided against fighting him on it. He could see Ryuji has already decided and there was no way he would be able to change his mind. So he let him pay and after they exited the store, they said goodbye to each other.

Ryuji’s house was in the other direction and so Futaba and Akira slowly made their way to the café alone. Akira decided to take a long bath in the bathhouse, while Futaba went to her room to check on the tools they will need for tomorrow.

Yeah. The first raid that had Ryuji joining was tomorrow, and Akira shivered at the thought. He was getting a bit anxious, having taken care of another person, not just himself. Futaba didn’t really count in his books, as she wasn’t on the field with him anyway.

He slowly stepped into the warm water and let his worries float away with it, sinking into the bath and steeling his nerves for tomorrow. No way is he going to let anything happen to the blonde. He was his responsibility now and he wasn’t prepared to get his guts spilt out by Ann.

After almost completely slipping into the water from dozing off, he cleaned himself and dried his hair with a towel. He turned to Leblanc and crashed in his bed, sleeping soundly mere seconds later.


	8. Chapter 8

Akira and Ryuji have been standing in front of the mansion that is Haru’s residence for a few minutes. They decided to meet up there at half past midnight. Futaba explained the security guards change shifts at 1 in the morning, so they had to meet up a little earlier. Futaba had been in the safety of her home the entire time. Akira had to give Ryuji his earpiece and then Futaba got them up to speed. 

They heard her cheerful voice through the earpiece. She sounded like she was having fun, but you could hear she didn’t take this mission lightly. Everything she explained was to the point and exact, not beating around the bush. 

Her distorted voice came from the piece and the boys shut up to listen to her instructions. Ryuji subconsciously leant into the voice in his ear and covered his other ear with a hand, to hear her better. Akira was already used to hearing her only from one side and was now casually leaning against the stone fence around the house. The coldness from it got through his coat and he shivered. 

The fence was not as high as he remembered. It was a bit higher than himself and that proved useful. That meant they didn’t have to open the metallic doors heading for the entrance of the house. They could just haul themselves up and jump down on the other side. It would be much quicker if they manage to do it efficiently enough. 

“Okay. First things first. I divided the cameras into two groups. The outside and inside ones. The cameras outside could be tricky. There are more of them, but I can get them to shut down for a few minutes. That means you have to be quick at getting into the house. Me shutting down the cameras could also alarm the guards, but from what I know, there aren’t any in the control room right now to notice. 

“On the inside, there are five cameras. Two in the central room, and one in the control room downstairs. That leaves two cameras upstairs; one in the hallway and the other in Haru’s father’s office. After you get inside, I will turn the outside cameras back on and override the ones in the house. I’ll make it look like no one is passing by the cameras. But you should still be careful. If by any chance the guards catch up on what is happening, I won’t be able to do much.” 

Akira nodded in understanding. He knew all these things already. He could see Futaba was trying to explain every detail as simply as possible as to not overwhelm Ryuji. The blonde was worrying his bottom lip, drawing his eyebrows close together. He was paying deep attention to Futaba. 

“Okay, so almost like every other time. We can do this. Ryuji, I’m guessing you’ll be able to jump over the fence? I don’t want to bother with opening the gates, this would be much easier.” Akira glanced at Ryuji. 

The boy in question looked at the cold stone fence and regarded it with a closed off expression. Then he grinned and nodded, “Yeah, no problem.” 

“Okay, then that’s taken care of. Futaba, do you know where the guards are right now?” 

“There are two in the house right now. None of them is in the control room, which is good. In five minutes, they will be shifting. One of them will be patrolling the downstairs hallway or will be standing by the front door…”

“Which means we can’t get inside from the front. Any other entrances?” Ryuji asked. 

Akira shifted his weight on his feet. He already knew the layout of the house from when he was at Haru’s, but Ryuji hadn’t seen the interior yet. 

“There’s a side entrance. We could try and break in through one of the windows, but it would take up too much time if you ask me. We’ll just take the side entrance,” Akira answered. 

Futaba interjected with a noncommittal hum, “The side entrance is password protected. I’ll have to hack into it. That will take up some time.” 

“Alright. Then when we start for the house, you should already be decrypting the password.” 

“That I can do. Hijack the cameras, open the door, a piece of cake. I’ll also use their cameras to guide you through the house and look at where the guards are in relation to you.” She clapped her hands, giggling. Her giggles should sound cute, but in the current situation, Ryuji couldn’t help but think of a criminal mastermind. 

She continued. “Now, for the other guard. He will probably be walking around the upstairs, checking if everything’s in order. That one actually shouldn’t pose that big of a threat.” 

“So what do we have to do?” Ryuji tilted his head to the side. 

Akira responded with fixing his leather gloves with a stare, “Haru prepared four things for us to steal. Downstairs we have a necklace to steal from the bathroom. Ryuji, I’ll have you steal it and then secure our escape route. I don’t want to go breaking through the door to the outside the second time, so you open a window near the hedgerow. That way we can hide in the bushes. 

“It will probably be best if you open a window in their living room. You’ll see it is opposite the bathroom. Can’t miss it, a big place with couches and a TV so big you can fall into it. The windows there are big enough to escape through easily.” Ryuji nodded to show he was listening. His eyes shined in the dim moonlight and Akira wasn’t sure he even saw him blink in the meantime. 

“I’ll have been stolen a bracelet from Haru’s room by then. The other two things we have to steal are a USB key and some papers from Mr Okumura’s office. I’ll take care of that too. We meet up downstairs in the living room. Don’t worry, you’ll have Futaba guiding you.” 

Futaba hummed at that and Akira continued with the explaining. 

“Good thing is, the Okumura family has one of those inside rivers in the centre of the mansion, so some of the noise will be cancelled out and the guards are less likely to hear you if you misstep. But still, don’t count on that. After regrouping, we run away as fast as possible, through the window you will have left open downstairs.” 

Futaba yawned and probably stretched her arms because Akira heard a faint crack through the earpiece and Ryuji cringed for a second. 

“Aaaand, that’s about it. You get it? Want the guy to explain again?” she asked, a smile heard from the other side. 

Ryuji chuckled and looked down at himself, “No, ‘is fine, I got it.” 

Akira nodded and clapped him on the shoulder, “Alright, then we should get going. Futaba, what’s the time?” 

There was heard shuffling from the other side, probably Futaba standing up from her bed and walking to her impressive disarray of cables and computer keyboards. 

“It’s ten past one in the morning. Ten minutes ago the guards had shifted their locations and they are exactly where I said they would be. Although I think the guy downstairs will start moving around the central part of the house in a bit. So get moving.” 

Akira nodded, “Okay. Futaba, start hacking into the password of the side entrance. Let’s do this.” 

At that, Akira reached out his hands and put them on the top of the cold stone fence and hauled himself up, Ryuji right beside him. They got to the other end easily enough with the strong build of their upper bodies. They crouched down, taking in their surroundings. 

The garden was peaceful, only a few crickets heard from where they were slouching in the grass clippings. They slowly started creeping to the side of the house. Even now, it still surprised Akira how big the place was. The moonlight shone on the white walls, half of the front of the house covered in glass windows. 

Futaba broke the silence, giving them a heads up, “There’s one guard on the other side of the front yard. He hadn't seen you yet, but you should still be careful. I already disabled the outside cameras. You’re safe to move to the back.” Her voice was shushed, every joking subtone in her voice gone. Akira understood now, why she always became so sombre when they broke into houses. He had to make sure Ryuji was safe now too, just like Futaba had taken care of him during the previous raids. 

He glanced to the left, and sure enough, there was a guard standing by an oak tree next to the cobbled path leading to the house. The shadows made him almost invisible and Akira shivered at the thought. If Futaba hadn't warned them, this would have ended before it had even begun. He couldn’t even see the guy and it made him nervous to think he wasn’t able to spot him in the dark. He normally loved dark nights, but right now, he didn’t appreciate them. The only light was coming from the shining of the moon, which made the place look even eerier. 

They moved carefully towards the side of the house, keeping close to the hedge, occasionally brushing against it. Ryuji let Akira take the lead, following him close behind. His blonde hair would have stood out too much in the dark and Akira was glad they bought him the ski mask the other day. That way, he was almost invisible, although his arms were still pretty apparent in the dark if you knew what to search for. 

He himself had a black trench coat on. The material was feather light and didn’t hinder his moving. Moreover, the pockets on the inside of the coat were big enough to put lockpicks, his flashlight and other necessities in. He wore a black ski mask too but didn’t like how it hugged tightly around his neck, so he had cut the lower part off at the mouth. Now the mask was covering half of his face, leaving the lower part of his face seen. 

They tried to make as little noise as possible and Akira was surprised how Ryuji could actually make such light steps. He always saw him stomping around and never being careful, so this was a pleasant change. It still made him nervous, however, how the crickets quieted down when they stepped near them. The quiet stretched on forever and was flooding Akira’s mind. 

Thankfully, Futaba broke the silence yet again, “Right, I see you two have gotten to the side of the house. Be careful when walking to the entrance. I already opened the door for you, you just have to sneak inside. The guard inside is at the other end of the circular room right now. You got this.” 

Ryuji let out a shaky breath and Akira nodded, even though he knew Futaba couldn’t see him. He spared a glance at the blonde behind him, reading his expression. Ryuji looked at him and although his eyes betrayed some of the nervousness he felt, he also trusted Akira and Futaba on this mission. So Akira started for the door, crouching again at the entrance and looking for the guard that was standing under the oak tree. The guard was gone. Akira bulged out his eyes and looked around nervously. 

He whispered into the earpiece, “Futaba, the guard!” 

“Oh, shi- Right, no, you’ll be fine. He went around the house, he’ll be coming around the corner in a few seconds, just hurry!” 

Akira cursed silently and opened the door. They quickly snuck inside and carefully closed the door behind them. 

“You’re good, he didn’t hear you.” Futaba said. Her voice cracked at the end of her sentence and she let out a long breath. 

Ryuji nodded, glancing at Akira. They had to keep their talking to a minimum, which meant they had to communicate with their hands and eyes. This was surprisingly easier to do with Ryuji than Akira remembered it to be with Yusuke, but now wasn’t the time to think about that. They both took over their respective corners of the short hallway, leading to the circular area. 

Ryuji took in his surroundings and his eyes widened infinitesimally when he heard the rushing of the water, clear as day. The water running through the place truly did drown out some of their moving and that put Akira’s mind more at ease. Bonsai-like trees were scattered all over the place, next to the brook winding its path around the staircases. 

Placed along the stream were rocks as big as him, which Akira noted as an okay space to use for hiding if need be. The water gathered in a small pond in the middle of the room, where goldfish were swimming in without worries, jumping out of the water on occasion. 

Ryuji frowned and looked up. The ceiling was wholly made of glass, which allowed the sun to shine through and help the trees to grow nicely in their pots. Now that he looked more closely, he noticed that the glass was stained. The moonlight shone through the different shapes in it, making colourful spots dance on the surface of the pond. He would have whistled at the beautiful sight, but given his position, he couldn’t do more than just staring enamoured at the scene. 

The room had different doors all around them. The front entrance was placed between the staircases. There were four more doors placed around the room, including the side entrance they came from on the far right. The other doors he didn’t know which were which, but he knew one of them had to be the bathroom. 

“Okay. Ryuji, your door’s the one to the right. It’s light blue, with dark blue squares on it. Akira, be careful when going to the staircase, go to the right. The guard is on the left side of the room right now, so you should be safe. Go.” Futaba’s voice was heard through the earpiece, grim and focused. 

Ryuji glanced at Akira for a sign. All he got was a Cheshire-like grin and a short wave of his hand. Then he was gone. The raven-haired boy was already hiding behind one of the bigger stones, looking over it to get a grasp on the guard’s location. Huh. A smart move on his part. 

Okay, that left Ryuji to his own devices. He looked to the guard and when he saw an opening, he snuck towards the blue door on his right that Futaba mentioned. 

“I disabled the lights that turn on when movement is detected, so you should be fine. There aren’t many like this, just in the bathroom, pool, gym, that sort of thing. So Akira, you’re good. Ryuji, you too.” 

Ryuji gulped and looked over his left shoulder. He could see Akira was already at the foot of the stairs. He turned his attention back to the door before him, gripped the cool doorknob and slowly opened the door. No lights lit up, just like Futaba had said. He slowly closed the door behind him, thankful the Okumuras care about their doors not creaking. Now, he only had to find the necklace. He turned on his flashlight, wincing at the bright beam of light. 

“Akira, the upstairs guard is on the right now. Wait till he goes on the left. Hide on the side of the stairs so he doesn’t notice you,” Ryuji heard Futaba speaking, but paid it no mind. He just hoped Akira was going to be okay. 

He almost snorted, but satisfied himself with an eye roll. Of course Akira was going to be okay. He has been doing this for a long time, who was he to worry about the black-haired boy. Grey eyes flashed before his eyes, full of mirth and hidden playfulness. He shook his head. 

He decided to look around the bathroom. This place was huge. His bathroom was pretty huge too, he knew that, but this one toppled it over and sent it rolling down the hill and into a grave. It had a jacuzzi and a bathtub big enough for three people to fit in on the side, with a big ass mirror along the whole left wall. He winced when he saw his hunched over profile in it. 

“Okay, you’re good. Now go up the stairs. You know where her room is.” 

Ryuji frowned at that, Futaba’s words meant for Akira ringing in his ears like an echo. He turned around and looked at the sink and in the drawers for the necklace. If he remembered correctly, Akira said it was blue in colour with one swan-shaped diamond in the centre of it. He shot the ray of light around the room. A small reflection of light caught his attention and he stepped over to the bathtub. On the edge of it, there were two bricks of soap, and between them, the shape of a swan glittered in Ryuji’s face. 

He heard Futaba hum on the other side of the earpiece. She must have been talking to Akira. 

He chuckled to himself. If this girl decided on hiding this beautiful a necklace between two bars of soap, she must have been something else. 

He turned towards the door and hunched over, speaking into the earpiece while glancing around, and making sure he didn’t leave anything out of the ordinary. 

“I got the necklace.” He whispered, using as few words as possible. 

“Good. Akira already got the bracelet from Haru’s room, he’s now lockpicking the door to- Akira, careful, hide, he’s coming your way.” 

Ryuji’s heart all but stopped when Futaba hissed out the warning. He could hear some desperation inching into her words. He waited quietly, listening to any indication of what was going on on the other end of the line. All he was imagining right now was a guard tackling Akira and tying him up before calling the police. His blood ran cold at the image and he grimaced at his inability to do anything to help him. 

He heard Futaba breathe out a sigh of relief, “Okay, good. You’re okay. Ryuji, you can go too, now, your guard positioned himself at the grand entrance. You’ll have to sneak around carefully for him not to notice you. The door to the living room is second on the left, which makes it… the fourth door to the left from you. The oak door with glass in the middle. Also, Akira just stepped into the office.” She said, a bit of excitement apparent in her voice. 

Ryuji slowly opened the door and quickly stepped out, quietly closing it behind him. The sounds of him closing the door should not be heard to the other side of the room with this river cancelling out the sound, but he worried the guard would see him with the corner of his eye. He was thankful for all the rocks, positioned in a way that limited the guards’ vision. 

He quickly hid behind one of them and assessed his position. Looking around, he saw the giant door Futaba was talking about. It really stood out, because it looked blander than the other doors. They all had some intricate design plastered on them, while this one was just a wooden door with a glass square in the middle. 

He slowly started for the door, hiding behind the rocks and making his way across the room. He had to be careful not to get noticed by the guard, who was now on the opposite side of him. 

“You’re making good progress. And Akira, would you hurry it up?” 

Ryuji smiled, almost snickering at how annoyed Futaba sounded. It seemed like Haru had managed to hide the other two objects well. He was getting anxious himself. Now that it looked like they were alright, he couldn’t help but let his mind wander. He pondered what this Haru girl was like. She sounded like an amazing person, fun and accepting. If the way Akira talked about her meant anything, then the girl must be remarkable. He couldn’t help but wish he could meet her one day. 

He felt an acidic jab in his throat and started moving again. After seeing a movement with the corner of his eye he stopped in his tracks. The guard was moving. He hissed quietly, looking around for somewhere better to hide. Futaba let out a string of profanities, which Ryuji apologized to the universe for. 

“Shit, okay. Ryuji, stop moving and be as still as possible.” She instructed, a strain in her voice apparent. “Jesus, Akira, shut up for a second, I’ll take care of it.” 

Ryuji stilled, his heart beating in his head. He breathed through his mouth, flattening himself to the rock and listening for footsteps, but because of the goddamn bubbling of the water, he couldn’t hear anything. _I guess the noise cancelling works both ways,_ he thought wryly, before frowning in nervousness. All he could do was wait for Futaba to give him directions. His legs started shaking with the strain. He didn’t dare move and the strain that was put on his muscles wasn’t welcoming. He hissed quietly, trying to shift his weight from one leg to another. 

Futaba cursed again under her breath, “You’re fine for now. He went into the control room. The cameras are still off, but he’ll soon get them going again. I’ll stall him. Hurry it up!” 

Ryuji bolted to the oak door, almost stumbling into it. He forgot about the guard upstairs, but luckily, he didn’t see him over the railing. 

Ryuji’s heart was hammering against his ribcage and his head felt woozy with the adrenalin. He opened the door and quickly went inside, getting his bearings. The room was huge, a cocktail bar on the left, a big red carpet splayed over the whole ground. On the opposite wall hung a TV. Ryuji gasped. The TV took up most of the wall, with a brown couch in front of it that looked so comfortable Ryuji was tempted to just lay on it and die blissfully. 

Looking up, there was a big chandelier hanging in the middle of the ceiling, hundreds of small diamond tears reflecting the moonlight’s shine. Right next to the TV a bookcase stood, taking up the whole wall from top to bottom. It was filled with books and movie titles, which were neatly organised by author’s names. Ryuji didn’t have the time to look at the titles, but he could’ve sworn he saw one of his favourite manga series on the top shelf. 

“Ryuji, the windows!” Futaba reminded. Ryuji cursed himself. Right now, his job was to secure them an escape route. He glanced at the windows. _Huh._ They took up the whole part of the fourth wall. The moon shined brightly into the living room, making it easier for Ryuji to see what he was doing. He briskly stepped to the windows and looked around carefully. They were openable with a handle. He had just prepared to open them when he stilled. 

“Futaba, are these protected by an alarm system?” 

For a few seconds, he couldn’t hear anything from the other side. Then Futaba hummed in affirmation. 

“Yeah, they are. Good thinking, thank god you didn’t just open them. Okay, I disabled the alarm system. You can open the window. Akira, hurry up! We need you here, now!” 

Ryuji sighed in relief and opened the window. He carefully looked outside, judging how he should go about jumping out. The ground didn’t look that high up, to it should be fine. 

“Okay, Akira, you know which door to take. Careful, the guard mustn’t see you. Fuck. The other got the cameras working again. I’ll send him a cat video. Ryuji, go! Akira will be right behind you. Hide in the hedgerow. The guard outside is around the corner, so be careful. I’ll disable the outside cameras again.” 

Ryuji nodded. He lifted his leg and propped himself on the edge. In the next moment, he heard the door opening and he jumped out without looking over his shoulder. When he landed, his legs gave in and he almost fell on his face, but he managed to keep himself up and scurried to the bushes. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He saw Akira leaping out of the window and landing effortlessly, the black cloak swishing behind him. 

With graceful movements, he ran to Ryuji, sending him a maniacal grin. Then he motioned him to follow, and in the next moment, they were already making their way back to the entrance. Every once in a while, Ryuji looked over his shoulder to see if the guard wasn’t following them, but apparently, he decided to turn back and go the other way. 

“Good job, boys, I was a bit worried there,” Futaba laughed, probably throwing her head back in glee. 

They jumped over the stone fence, and they were off. 

After that, they ran for a few blocks, making sure there was as much of a distance between them and the mansion as possible. When Akira decided they were safe, he turned around, taking off his cut-off ski mask. He laughed and hunched over, breathing heavily. 

Ryuji did the same. The adrenalin was still coursing through his veins, his head buzzing from the excitement and he was pretty sure he had never felt more alive than right at this moment. 

Then a hard body hit him full force, and he found himself hugging Akira. He buried his face in the crook of the other’s neck and laughed. The taller boy laughed with him, his shoulders shaking against Ryuji’s. He felt Akira’s smile stretch on the exposed skin of Ryuji’s shoulder, and the hot breaths the raven released on the ends of his hair. Their arms intermingled and it looked like they have decided to merge together, but alas, he felt Akira pull away and the cold air hit him in the face. 

“This was amazing! Jeez!” Akira beamed at him and Ryuji felt himself laugh in response. 

“I don’t remember the last time I was this scared shitless,” he mentioned after their laughter died down and they just stood in the cold night, grinning at each other. 

“Yeah, well, I can’t say you get used to it. But it gets better after you get home and go to sleep. So maybe we should do that and talk later. Did you come on foot?” 

Ryuji nodded, “My house isn’t that far away. I’ll be home in twenty minutes. I’m more worried about you, actually.” 

“Nah, I have my bike with me. I’ll be sleeping in an hour,” Akira dismissed his worries and grinned at him. “Good job on your first raid. As an award, you get tomorrow off. Or- Today, if I’m being accurate. We’ll see each other on Friday if you’re free then.” 

Akira looked at him with a hopeful expression on his face. 

“Sounds like a deal to me,” Ryuji responded and Futaba yelped in delight. Right, he almost forgot she was there too, in a way. He took out his earpiece. “I guess I have to give this to you, now.” 

Akira shook his head, “Keep it. You’ll need it soon enough again, after all. Just… turn it off. Futaba’s known to spy on people.” Akira cringed and shot a hand to his ear. Futaba must have thrown in some insults or she just ruptured his eardrum. 

Ryuji snorted and turned the earpiece off. “Alright then, see you tomorrow. Oh, and, message me when you get home, ‘kay?” 

Akira glanced at him, a surprised expression on his face, before a smile stretched over his whole face, sun shining through his teeth. 

“Will do.” 

They said their goodbyes and turned around, not looking over their shoulders. When Ryuji got home, he first went for a hot bath. He cleared his mind and let excitement run its course, but after he stepped out of the bathtub, he felt exhaustion hit him like a ton of bricks. He draped a towel around his hips and went right for his bed, looking through his phone one last time. There was a new message for him. 

**Akira:** Just got home. Hope you’re happy, mom. 

He smiled when he read this, feeling a bit more awake than before and typed out a response so hurriedly his fingers almost couldn’t keep up. 

**Ryuji:** Perfectly happy. Also, we can meet up at my place tomorrow. 

**Akira:** Sure, that souunds great. Well, goodnight then.

 **Ryuji:** Night, Akira :)

And with that, he sent the phone flying to the other side of the bed and instantly fell asleep. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd just like to say, this chapter mentions homophobia from an unnamed dirtbag of a dad, and if this isn't your cup of tea, please don't read.  
> It isn't explained in details, but I'd rather not have any of you lovelies getting sad if it hits too close to home.  
> I will, however, put *** to warn when to stop reading, and then another *** to continue reading, If you'd like to read the rest but skip that part of the chapter.

Ryuji woke up with a groan, splayed over the bedsheets on his king-sized bed. He turned over onto his stomach and tried to fall asleep again, but the sun shining through his windows made it impossible for him to dive back into his dreams. He sighed and sat up in his bed, his legs getting tangled in the sheets. He squinted his eyes at the sun, which was already pretty high up in the sky. 

“What do you want from me? I don’t have to go to school. You’re not my mom.” 

He grumbled and untangled his legs from the sheets. He groggily stood up and stumbled to his bathroom. After he noticed he forgot to take his clothes with him, he returned to his room. He made a rude gesture to the sun, still persistently smiling into his room. 

“You’ve got nothing on Akira. Just FYI.” He said and searched for his track pants. He turned around to look through the glass door, heading to the balcony. Today was a beautiful weather that just screamed at Ryuji to go running. So he put on his track pants and a shirt he has worn too many times without being washed by now. 

After looking through the fridge, he decided to take some money from the piggy bank and go to a store during his run. He locked up the door and put the keys under an adjacent flower pot. 

He loved running. In his mind, he was already calculating the distance between the nearest store and his home and decided to run through a nearby forest on his way there. He would make a detour, but it was always worth it. So he started for a road leading to the forest, which quickly turned into a macadam road. The birds were singing above his head and every other step Ryuji pulled his head up to look around himself. 

The sun rays were shining through the mixed forest and the air around him became clearer. He could breathe easier, the air around him not polluted as much because of the various plants cleaning it. In moments like these, he hated the highway running half a mile past the forest. He could still hear the motor vehicles rumbling, making the chirping of the birds quieter than it should be. 

He let his mind wander. The past few days had been crazy, even for him, and he needed some time to think it all over. Ryuji’s mind always jumped from thought to thought. The only time his hectic mind really slowed down, was when he was running. He could just listen to his own breathing and concentrate on putting one leg before the other. 

At first, he normally couldn’t think about anything else than keeping up with his rhythm, but after a few miles, his mind started wandering. Even then, it never really focused on anything specific, just snippets of conversations he had in the past week, or different interactions he had with people. 

He came to a rest stop, and leant his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. After catching some more air into his lungs, he continued in his path through the woods. 

Today was Friday, which meant he was meeting Akira and Futaba later throughout the day. He smiled at the thought. He should get more food from the store for their meeting. After all, it had been a long time since he invited anyone new into his house. It was normally just Ann, Shiho and his friends from the track team. 

He didn’t give much on first impressions and considering he first saw Akira stealing from his house, but now he thinks of him as a pretty important person, he figured that was the right choice. 

He couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, but he felt like he had known Akira longer than just for a week. They had been through a lot together already and he admitted to himself he felt like he could trust the raven and his quirky cousin. 

He shook the thought out of his mind and started running faster, making his feet stomp on the path. He stepped on some leaves lying on the ground and revelled at the quiet crunching sound they made. 

He thought back to their operation of stealing from the Okumura’s mansion, and his breathing became heavier. He started running even faster to prevent the thoughts of the past day rushing into his head. He wasn’t well-equipped for thinking about this right now. He still couldn’t figure out just what exactly made him join Akira and Futaba, but he hoped it wouldn’t backfire. 

He really did feel for people on the streets, who were unable to stand up on their own two feet, and seeing Akira talk about it with so much fervour sparked something in his stomach. His mom and he had been on the brink of homelessness some time ago, too, after all, and he suspected joining the two would put his life in some perspective. 

He knew the end of the forest was growing nearer, so he continued with his fast pace and closed the corner almost flying through the air, his hands working almost as much as his legs. He was almost at the end of his path through the forest when a pain in his leg stabbed through his mind. He stopped suddenly, the momentum taking him forward and he fell on the ground, scraping his arms in the process. 

He hissed in pain, turning over on the ground and tenderly touched his right leg. His knees were scraped just as much as his palms and elbows, some of the pebbles sticking to his already bleeding skin. He gingerly brushed them off and then glared at his leg. It was throbbing and although the pain was subsiding, his mind was still screaming bloody murder. 

“Seriously? Again? I don’t have time for this shit, why now?” He frowned at his knee. 

The knee did not reply, so Ryuji huffed out a breath in anger and slowly stood up. His legs were trembling and although a sharp jab sent shivers through his back, Ryuji straightened himself and slowly started limping towards the store he had meant to visit. 

He cursed himself and picked up two bottles of water, a disinfectant spray and some Band-Aids. He glared at the price tags and then headed for the aisle with fast food. He bought chips and pretzels (Ann loved them), followed by sour and sweet candy. He meant to buy some drinks too, but he remembered he still had some in the pantry. 

At the conveyor belt, he also picked up two energy bars (because why the fuck not, he deserved it after this whole shebang), and paid the store clerk, careful not to touch the products too much as to not get them bloody. 

The clerk looked at him worriedly but otherwise said nothing. He must’ve figured Ryuji would be okay and just charged him for the products. 

After walking out of the store, Ryuji took out the water bottle and carefully cleaned the wounds on his hands. After checking he didn’t need any band-aids, he took care of his elbows and knees, already wincing at how painful the process of wound closing will be, especially when the scabs start itching him. 

He never really had any self-control regarding the scabs. He always scratched them off, and that left him with some pretty noticeable discolouring on his skin. 

He whispered a few obscenities under his breath and started walking towards his home. The trip took him half an hour longer, because he had been limping, and when he got home, he dumped the shopping bags on the breakfast bar in the kitchen and limped into the bathroom. 

He showered and carefully dried himself up. Then he changed into the clothes that left his hands and legs in the open. That way the fabric wouldn’t stick to his limbs, and he felt freer. 

He slowly walked back downstairs and sprayed some disinfectant on his elbows. They took most of the damage, next to his knee, which was still hurting a bit and Ryuji did not appreciate that. 

He glanced at the clock and noted with shock it was already one in the afternoon. He took out his phone and messaged Akira. 

**Ryuji:** Yo, you okay with coming over around three? 

After sending the question he sighed and started putting the food he bought in the pantry, excluding the chips, which he dumped into a big glass bowl for them to eat from. He placed two cartons of juice in the refrigerator and walked back upstairs. The chime of his phone brought him out of his daze. 

**Akira:** Sure, I’ll see you then. 

He looked around, noting the disarray in his room. He didn’t really care about the mess, but his mom had taught him well, so he started cleaning up. First, he had to pick up all his clothes from the floor. He had to put them in a washing machine, or back in the wardrobe, based on how much the clothes produced a weird smell he was pretty sure killed rats around the block. 

For background music, he put on some Linkin Park and started vacuuming. He bumped his hips to the rhythm of the song and sang fairly unattractively. He looked like Cinderella with two left feet, but the faint hurting of his leg didn’t stop him. 

Only after it started annoying him, he wrapped two elastic bandages around his leg for (questionable) support. The hurting of the leg had already almost stopped, it only stabbed him when he put too much weight on it. 

In the blink of an eye, the small hand of the clock moved to three and he heard the ringing of his doorbell. He had to make himself not to jump two stairs at a time, and he excitedly opened the door. He came face to face with a redhead, grinning at him from ear to ear. He glanced behind her and noted the raven-haired boy looked flustered, his already curly hair in even more loops than before. 

He smiled at the pair, “Hey, come on in. how’ve you been?” 

“Ah, Ryuji, it’s like we haven’t seen each other in days, I almost forgot what you look like!” Futaba put the back of her hand on her forehead. 

Ryuji chuckled and opened the door more widely, sidestepping to let them in. Futaba readily took off her shoes, and behind her, Akira smiled warmly at Ryuji, which made the blonde’s stomach clench in on itself. 

He smiled back and gestured for them to follow him. 

“So… welcome to my house. It’s really not as big as the Okumura’s, but I guess you could still call it the rich people’s house. Oh, I’ll just get something to drink and eat for us, you two are welcome to go into my room. Up the stairs. On the left. The big door that screams violence.” 

Akira snorted and Futaba nodded, “Yeah, we know.” She said and continued up the stairs. Akira froze in place and looked at Ryuji like a deer caught in headlights. 

Ryuji glanced confusedly at Futaba’s back and already wanted to form a question when it dawned on him and his mouth made an o shape before closing shut. He almost forgot about that. They must already know the layout of his house. Jesus. 

Akira cleared his throat and looked down at his feet. “Shit. I’m sorry.” 

He looked so remorseful Ryuji had no intentions of keeping a grudge against them. He shook his head and smiled at Akira, who didn’t see it, what with looking at his feet and all. 

“Don’t worry. It’s in the past. Go, follow Futaba to my room.” He said and turned away to walk into the kitchen. He meant what he said. He didn’t hold it against the two. He couldn’t quite gather why, but he felt like being angry at them would be a huge step back. 

After gathering the glasses, drinks and foods on one big platter, he slowly started his way upstairs and when he got to his room, he was straining from the weight. Akira saw him stumbling towards the entrance and jumped to his aid, gripping the snack bowls. They put down the platter and Ryuji let out a breath. 

He heard Futaba gasp in excitement and he turned towards her. He cocked his head to the side, a smirk playing on his lips. 

He knew his room was bigger than most, at least four sizes of Akira’s attic room. He felt proud of the manga collection Futaba was currently eyeing, her eyes sparkling when she saw some of the titles she liked. The whole wall next to the door was just a bookcase with books and novels laying one over the other. On the right side of the case, there was a whole part dedicated to video games and when Futaba saw them she started jumping on her feet. 

“Ooooh my gosh, are you fricking kidding me?? Xbox, PC, Wii, Switch, PlayStation two, three and four… is there anything you don’t have? Jesus Christ, you ass is loaded!” 

Ryuji choked from how much air he just drew in. he didn’t expect such a reaction from the short girl in front of him, but he guessed he really shouldn’t be surprised. He scratched at his neck and glanced at Akira, at a loss for words. Akira stared right back, looking dumbfounded, apparently as lost as Ryuji felt. 

“Yeah, you can borrow some if you want to, really. I don’t play much these days anyways.” 

Futaba’s eyes bulged out and she crossed the room to throw her hands around Ryuji’s shoulders. He gingerly hugged her back and in the next moment, she was gone, jumping two stairs at a time to get downstairs. Ryuji looked at Akira and for some time they just stared at each other, neither knowing what to say. 

Then Akira snorted and poured them each a glass of orange juice, “So, that was something. Sorry, I really don’t know what that was about. There are some things about her even I can’t comprehend.” He handed Ryuji his glass and they both sipped the juice in silence, waiting for Futaba to come back. 

She didn’t disappoint, for in the next moment she was back in Ryuji’s room, gasping for air and leaning on the side of the door like she’d just ran a marathon. 

“I… brought you… this.” She huffed out in between breaths, the manga Ryuji and Futaba had been talking about the other day in her hands. “You forgot to take it before you went home. So here.” 

Ryuji smiled, but then his face changed into one of horror. “Wait. Did you just run home and… How fast are you?!” 

Futaba looked at him, confusion written all over her face. “What? No, jeez, that would’ve killed me. No, I left it downstairs.” 

Ryuji let out a noise of understanding and then his brows furrowed once again. “Okay. Thanks, Futaba.” 

She grinned at him, “No problem, gladly, for the price of all of these video games.” 

Ryuji’s horrified look amused Akira to no end, and he clapped him on the shoulder. 

“WH- You can just download them illegally anyways, isn’t that kind of your shtick?” 

Futaba shot him an affronted look, “How dare you think of me as someone that would pirate games?” She turned towards the snack bowl and took out two pieces of chips. “Yeah, but it can’t compete with the real thing.” 

At that, Akira’s phone chimed. Futaba and Ryuji turned to him, watching the raven in anticipation, as he fished the phone out of his pocket. He looked at the caller’s ID and his face stretched into a pleased smile. 

“It’s Haru.” 

Futaba clapped her hands, “Ooh, put her on speaker!” 

Akira smiled and received the call, punching a button on his touchscreen. 

“Hi Haru, you’re on speaker. I’m here with Futaba and Ryuji.” 

A pleasant voice, although a bit higher than Ryuji expected rose from the speaker. Futaba sat down on the red carpet in front of Ryuji’s bed and started looking through the consoles Ryuji had stacked next to his flat screen TV. Her movements were hurried, as though she couldn’t believe her eyes, but she still managed to shout a greeting in the phone’s direction. 

“Oh, hi there, hi Akira, Futaba, Ryuji, I didn’t expect to be talking to all of you so suddenly, but I guess this is even better, I have some good news for all of you.” 

Ryuji sat down on the edge of his bed and gestured for Akira to sit down next to him. Akira smiled and avoided the punching bag in the middle of the room, and sat down next to Ryuji on the bed. 

Akira hummed. Warmth spread through Ryuji’s leg where their legs were touching, and Ryuji was pretty sure it wasn’t just the heat radiating from his injured leg. 

“Really? Tell us,” Akira said into the phone. 

“Well, yesterday I saw the objects I hid for you to steal were gone, and I am glad that the mission was completed. None of the guards said anything, so I am guessing no one saw you. When they had to report to father, I heard one of them say someone was just messing with the cameras, because cat videos started playing? I’m guessing this is your doing, Futaba?” 

Futaba lay down on the carpet, a devilish smile on her lips. “You got that right!” She said loudly for Haru to hear her. 

From the speakers, a melodic laugh rang through the air. Ryuji could almost picture a refined and well-mannered girl sitting in the middle of them, throwing her head back in a laugh. 

“I’m glad you were able to pull it off.” 

Akira nodded, only then remembering Haru couldn’t see him, “Yeah, thanks for all your help. Although, we still need to return the items, too. Will your parents notice any of the items gone?” 

“Don’t be silly, the papers were just a script from the Shakespeare’s play I did in middle school, both the necklace and the bracelet are mine, and the USB key is empty. They won’t notice a thing. Although, I am grateful you are worried about such things.” 

“Alright then. Expect us to bring the items back shortly.” 

Ryuji could almost see Haru nodding, a graceful smile shining through her features. It felt weird, imagining how someone looked and only hearing their voice. He could only guess what she looked like, and that wrapped her in a fog of mystery. 

“Thank you. You said Ryuji was with you? I wish to talk to him. Would you be a dear and hand the phone over to him?” 

Akira glanced at Ryuji sitting next to him, turning towards him a bit. “Uh, sure. You want me to turn off the speaker?” 

“No, thank you, this will be fine.” 

“Alright then,” Akira stretched out his hand and handed the phone to Ryuji, who looked at Akira with a panicked expression, his eyes opened wide as he bit on his lip. 

“Hi, this is Ryuji,” He said after clearing his voice. 

“Oh, hello there,” He heard from the other end, a pleased tilt to her voice. “I’m happy to finally meet you, Akira has been talking a lot about you.” 

Akira went rigid next to Ryuji, and Ryuji chuckled on the phone. Futaba turned around, sitting cross-legged on the ground, looking at them with an amused expression on her face. 

“Only good things, I hope,” Ryuji said. 

He couldn’t help the way his speech pattern changed to more formal. The girl had a way of expressing eloquence even when she wasn’t present in the room, and he found himself talking like he was taught by his mom for when he had to attend fancy parties with her. 

“Ah, of course, you are not the one that they found stealing from them, after all, he can’t really judge,” she giggled. “Even so, he sounded very excited when talking about you, I just had to see who he took such a liking to.” 

Ryuji’s eyes crinkled at the corners. He was pleasantly surprised at the comment and his stomach clenched. 

“Uh, thanks, that means a lot,” He chuckled and willed the blood in his cheeks to go away. 

“I cannot wait to talk to you in person. I would appreciate us talking more if you are up to it.” 

“Sure, I’d be glad to. It was nice talking to the person we… broke into the house of,” He said, irony dancing in his words. 

Futaba laughed out loud and Akira hid his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking. 

Haru’s laugh came through the speakers, and Ryuji found himself smiling alongside them. 

“Yes, that doesn’t sound like the best way to meet someone. But, that doesn’t matter, I assure you. I was happy to help. I just hope Akira and Futaba didn’t make you work too hard.” 

“Eh, I’m a masochist, I can take it.” He said, a smile stretching over his whole face. 

Futaba jerked her head into the ground with a loud thump and Akira looked absolutely shell-shocked, looking at Ryuji with wide eyes and his lips pressed tightly together, so as to not laugh out loud. Haru, however, laughed again, her voice inching towards him, and Ryuji couldn’t help but instantly feel close to the girl on the other end of the line. 

For the past few days, he had been meeting people he instantly seemed to grow close to, and that made him happy, albeit a bit confused as to what is going on. _It’s probably Akira’s presence_ , he reasoned and pushed the thought into the back of his mind. 

“Alright, that’s enough bonding for a month, you two” Akira interrupted, wheezing and desperately trying not to laugh. 

“Bonding, you say,” Haru answered, a suggestive tone to her voice. 

Akira pushed his glasses up his nose and closed his eyes. Ryuji could just see him counting to ten to calm himself down. 

“It was nice talking to you, Haru, goodbye,” He said after a while, Futaba still laughing and practically rolling on the floor. 

“You too, lovelies. I hope to see you all soon, goodbye!” She said, her teasing laugh dying down and Akira punched the button to disconnect the phone call. 

“Really, Ryuji? Really?” The raven asked, obviously fighting down another fit of laughter. 

Ryuji lifted up his hands, “Hey, she was scary, I had to diffuse the situation somehow!” 

“You hang out with Ann on a daily basis and _Haru_ is the one that scares you?” Akira asked incredulously. 

Ryuji shrugged, not able to explain that being used to one type of crazy doesn’t necessarily make you immune to other types of crazy. 

After that, Futaba and Ryuji started playing street fighter, with Ryuji getting his ass handed to him by the redhead. He was getting increasingly more annoyed with Futaba blocking all his attacks. He didn’t even pay attention to Akira, who got bored after a while of listening to the pair bantering and started walking around the room, looking at the posters next to his bed and the pictures hanging on the walls. 

“Dang it, how!? How, Futaba!?” Ryuji screamed, inching more and more into the TV screen, while Futaba just cackled and sent him flying in the air. 

“Finally, I can have my revenge!” She shouted, punching Ryuji one last time and kicking him as an afterthought. Ryuji winced when his character received a finishing blow to his groin and put down the controller in anger. 

Akira interrupted their bickering, “How come you don’t have any pictures of your father?” 

***

Ryuji could sense the hesitation in his voice, and sighed. He didn’t really like talking about this, but he trusted Akira. They would eventually find out anyway, so it didn’t really make a difference to him. 

“Eh, he’s not really my type of guy,” he paused the game and Futaba looked at him with a closed off expression. “When he found out I had a boyfriend, he flipped out of his mind. Threw me out of the house. Mom left him immediately after that, got us a small apartment and started working two jobs at a time, before climbing the social ladder so we could afford things like this.” 

He gestured towards the consoles and stacks of manga, looking at the bed that took up a quarter of his room. 

“They divorced each other not long after. Mom had been dependent on him for a long time, but him disowning me made up her mind.” 

He looked longingly at the photographs hanged on his walls, his eyes softening at the sight of him and his mother, eating ice cream and watching movies. He couldn’t wait for her to get back from her business trip, already imagining everything he will have to tell her when she gets back. They do text and call on a regular basis, but lately, he seemed to miss her more and more. 

Akira nodded. He didn’t say anything, and Ryuji was kind of glad. He couldn’t say anything to change the way things went, and people expressing pity just made him annoyed. He didn’t hold any more feelings towards his father, but it could still be a sore topic at times. 

“Introduce me to her someday,” Futaba said, smiling at Ryuji softly. “She sounds like a real hero.” 

Ryuji smiled back and nodded, “She is.” 

***

They sat like that for some time in silence, before it became almost unbearable for Ryuji and he stood up in front of Futaba. 

“Okay, that’s enough of silence. You wanted to talk about our next raid, right?” 

Akira nodded and sat down on the bed. He looked so comfortable, Ryuji couldn’t help but feel like he belonged there. “Yeah, we need to return Haru’s things back to where we found them, without anyone noticing. That would probably be the best course of action for now.” 

Futaba jumped to her feet and tapped Ryuji on his shoulder, “I made you a second earpiece. With this one, we can all talk to each other, without me relaying the messages. I would’ve given it to you sooner, but I hadn’t had the time to really perfect it before the first break in. so you get this now.” 

She handed him the tiny earpiece and Ryuji gingerly touched it with the tips of his fingers. It looked almost translucent, which made Ryuji feel like he will break it if he looks at it the wrong way. He walked over to the head of his bed and put it on his bedside drawer, next to the picture of him, Ann and Shiho all smiling at a carnival they went to a few months ago. 

His hair was still showing streaks of black, and Ann’s hair was let down in beautiful waves over her shoulders. Shiho was standing right beside them, smiling tentatively at the camera, still in her volleyball uniform. He smiled at the memory and turned back to Akira. 

“Okay. So when are we pulling this off?” 

Akira thought to himself for a moment, “We should probably do it as soon as possible. Are you two okay with the day after tomorrow?” 

Ryuji shifted his weight from one leg to another and cringed at the burst of throbbing pain that was sent from his knee. 

“Uhm… I’m afraid I won’t be able to. Not this soon, anyways.” 

Akira looked at him with a concerned expression on his face. Then his eyes shifted to his leg and widened. He looked as though he couldn’t exactly believe what he was seeing. 

“Wait. What happened? Are you hurt?” 

Ryuji smirked, although it didn’t have the same effect as it should have. 

“I’m fine. Just my leg. A few years ago I was hurt in a track race. The doctors said there’s nothing to be done, at least not until they see how much damage the tissue has taken around the muscles. It doesn’t hurt so much anymore, but if I work it too much, it starts to.” 

Futaba frowned and looked at Ryuji’s leg. It was still wrapped up and the makeshift bandages that supported Ryuji’s weight. 

“Did you hurt it again when we were breaking in?” 

Ryuji scratched his neck, “Ah, no, I overdid it with the running today. Nothing to worry about, it’s just that the pain won’t really subside for about five more days or so. I’ll be able to tell you when it stops hurting.” 

Akira regarded him for a second, searching his face with his grey eyes and Ryuji felt like he was being sucked into the void. 

“Alright. I’ll rely on you to tell us when you’ll be good to continue.” He stated after a beat of silence and Ryuji gave him a thumbs up in reply. 

“Alright, now that that’s taken care of… what would you want to be your codename?” 

Ryuji looked at him confusedly, but noticed Futaba grinning with the corner of his eye, “A… codename?” 

Akira sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. “Yes, a codename. Futaba insists on using them. And when it was just us, it seemed kind of unnecessary, but if there’s two of us on the field, with guards and people around us that could potentially hear us, it wouldn’t be dumb to use them. 

Futaba cheered gleefully, while Ryuji hummed in acknowledgement. 

“What are you codenames, then?” 

Futaba wrapped her arm around his shoulders, bringing all her weight down on him. “I’m Oracle, he’s Joker.” She informed him as Ryuji hissed in pain. She got a shocked expression on her face and pulled away immediately. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry, I forgot-“ 

“Don’t worry about it,” Ryuji calmed her through gritted teeth. He straightened his posture and looked around his room for inspiration. 

“You could be blondie,” Akira interjected. 

He was laying down on Ryuji’s bed, sprawled and looking at him with his renowned smirk. Ryuji looked away, trying not to let his mind wander away from their original conversation and slipping into a black hole. 

Ryuji fought through the blush threatening to form on his cheeks. The gears in his head had to work about twice as much to make sense of what Akira was saying. At last, he gathered the needed amount of brainpower to act at least a little bit offended at Akira’s proposition. 

“Hell no. It would point to how I look, anyways. No, it’s gotta be…” He looked down at himself and pointed out his T-shirt. It was an orange shirt without sleeves, with a white skull designed in the centre of it. “Let’s go with skull.” 

Futaba snorted and looked away, while Akira tilted his head and held Ryuji’s gaze in a tight grip, “Alright, that works.” 

“Wait, really?” Ryuji asked surprised. 

The raven shrugged, “Yeah, I don’t really care. It kinda works if I’m being honest.” 

He closed his eyes and turned on his side before sitting up. “We have to go now, though, or Sojiro will have my head.” He said, a smirk still playing on his face. 

Ryuji nodded and they all made their way downstairs. Futaba was already walking down the street when Akira leaned on the side of the front door and Looked at Ryuji with intense burning in his eyes. 

“Hey… If you ever need to talk, you know I’m here, right?” 

Ryuji cocked his head to the side, wondering what sparked this statement in Akira. 

The black haired man continued, “What with your dad, I thought I’d just stress this again. You can talk to me, okay?” 

Ryuji’s heart warmed and he had a strange urge to tackle Akira into a hug. 

He smiled and nodded. “Yeah, okay. I’ll hold you to that.” 

Akira nodded in reply and turned around. He started running towards Futaba, who was already almost at the end of the street, tapping her leg on the concrete in anticipation. 

Before they disappeared behind a corner of a building, Akira turned around and waved at the blonde, who couldn’t help but smirk to himself, his arm almost instantaneously waving back in a goodbye. 


	10. Chapter 10

Akira has been more tired than usual the past few days. Futaba had been bombarding him with local money launderers and other people with money stuffed in their ass. He has been looking at different maps and places Futaba has gotten her hands on and he had to see which one would be best to steal from, now that Ryuji joined their team. 

He has been sitting at his desk for hours now, clicking through different pictures Futaba had sent him. He stubbornly avoided sunlight like the plague. If his mother were there, she would have told him his head would get rectangular by looking at the screen for days on end.

For now, he highlighted three criminals they could steal from, but his head just wasn’t in the game anymore. He was too tired to look at anything anymore, and he lowered his head and bumped his forehead on the table. He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair, tangling the strands together. 

He started drifting to sleep when a soft chime from his phone got his attention. He turned his head towards the phone while still half laying on the table and looked at the screen with lidded eyes. 

**Ryuji:** Hey man, how’ve you been? 

Akira’s eyes widened instantaneously and some of his energy returned to his body. He sat up on his chair and quickly answered the message. 

**Akira:** Fine. A bit tired, but otherwise ok. Wbu? 

He waited a few seconds and was not disappointed when the blonde’s name popped up in his notification bar not long after. 

**Ryuji:** That sounds perfect, let’s go running, take our minds off of stuff

 **Ryuji:** And I’m getting better. Still hurts a bit, but I can’t complain. 

Akira frowned and skimmed through the two messages about five times. Ryuji’s leg hurt, but he wanted to go for a run? That didn’t sound like the smartest thing to Akira. 

**Akira:** I don’t think you should be running with the state your leg is in. 

**Ryuji:** It’ll be fine, dw! 

**Akira:** Ryuji, you can’t be serious. 

**Ryuji:** Well, I’m going, whether you like it or not. 

Akira shook his head and wanted to reply back, but a moment later he got another message. 

**Ryuji:** Now if a certain _someone_ wanted to accompany me, I’d be very happy (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ 

The black haired boy sighed. He really didn’t feel equipped to deal with Ryuji collapsing in front of him. The ability to take care of people with a death wish was an expansion pact he did not buy when it got out. But the picture his mind produced, of Ryuji, sprawled on the ground and clutching his leg in pain, no one near him to help, made his fingers move of their own accord. 

**Akira:** Fine. Just to make sure you don’t eat dirt when you inevitably hit the ground. 

**Ryuji:** You don’t appreciate me enough. ಠ╭╮ಠ

 **Akira:** I’m coming by your house in an hour. 

**Ryuji:** Great! ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ♪ 

Akira sighed softly and pulled himself from his chair. He stretched his legs and cringed when his spine made some worrying cracking sounds. 

He looked around his room and sluggishly stepped over to his wardrobe. He pulled out the first running shorts he could find and put them on. When he stepped downstairs, he saw Sojiro leaning on the counter. He sat down opposite of him and Sojiro looked at him with a disapproving glance. 

“Wow, haven’t seen you down here in a while, I almost forgot you existed.” He said and pushed a cup of coffee towards the raven. 

Akira grumbled and took a sip of the coffee. “Har har, are you going to make a joke about me looking like a ghost, too?” 

Sojiro scratched his chin, “Now that you mention it, there were some weird smells oozing downstairs, maybe your corpse is rotting away in your bed right now.” 

Akira gave him the best glare he could muster and downed the rest of the coffee. To be honest, he himself was a bit surprised at how he was acting these past few days. Never before has looking through potential victims’ files been this tiring. Now that he had to pay attention to what Ryuji could do, too, the preparations took a lot more concentration on his end. He couldn’t just tick off the first name that sounded rich enough. He had to pay attention to the layout of the house, different cameras, other alarms, guards… 

His head started hurting and he leaned his head on his hand. 

“I’m going to Ryuji’s, don’t wait up for me.” 

Sojiro raised his eyebrows. “The blonde boy? The one you got in a fight with?” 

“Yeah, we’re best buds now, “ he straightened in his chair, suddenly more alert. 

His uncle shrugged, pouring another cup of coffee, this one for himself. 

The café was empty today. Not that it was packed on the other days of the week, but in Akira’s experience there was always at least one person in one of the booths, drinking their coffee and listening to the news, or reading the newspaper. 

Sojiro regarded him with an interested expression and leaned over the counter, picking up Akira’s mug. 

“When do you have to get to his place, then?” 

Akira sighed and looked at the clock. He shot up from his seat and almost tripped over his own feet, but managed to stay upright. 

“I’m running late for the train already! Bye, I’ll see you tomorrow!” 

“Alright, take care.” 

He could almost hear Sojiro’s grin in his words, but he didn’t dwell on this, he had a train to catch. 

So he bolted through the door and took the shortcut leading to the train station. In the last possible moment, he was able to catch the train and he found a spot to sit in next to a window. He liked taking the train, rides made him feel relaxed and his mind could wander away. Even better, if he had his headphones with him and he could listen to some music, he could pretend to be in some music video, the song telling the story of his life. He closed his eyes and drifted off to an uneasy sleep. 

He kept waking up and dozing back off again, but regardless, he felt more energized once he stepped out and onto the platform. Another ten minutes, and he would be in front of Ryuji’s house. With every step, his head felt lighter and his eyelids didn’t insist on closing anymore. He could let himself get a tiny bit excited. 

When he got to the door, he rang the bell and waited. He listened to any indications as to what was going on the other side of the doors. Since he started the whole Robin Hood shebang with Futaba, he paid more attention to his surroundings, as if a part of his brain was always looking left and right, listening to any noises or watching for a threat. 

He snickered quietly when he heard a muffled bang of a solid body hitting a drawer or a table and the curses that followed after. When the door opened, a mop of blond hair was looking at him with lidded, but excited eyes. Akira’s eyebrows shot upwards when he regarded Ryuji. His hair had a cowlick in the front like he had been sleeping face first on a pillow. His shirt was rumpled and he had one green sock on, the other nowhere to be found. 

Akira laughed and covered his mouth with his hand immediately after, crinkling his eyes in a joyous expression hidden behind his hand. 

“What happened to you?” 

Ryuji groaned and let him into the house. “I fell asleep on the couch.” 

“We were messaging only an hour ago on the phone, how did you manage to fall asleep so quickly?” 

“Hey, don’t underestimate my falling-asleep-quickly abilities.” 

Akira chuckled. “Alright, I apologise, oh great Hypnos.” 

Ryuji grunted and tilted his head to the right in confusion. Then he shook his head and grinned, slapping Akira’s shoulder gently. 

“Anyways, what’d ya wanna do now?” 

Akira shot him a startled glance. “I thought we were going to go running. You know, because you’re so stubborn.” 

Ryuji looked at the ceiling as if he was deep in thought and Akira narrowed his eyes in suspicion. 

“Yeah, sure, let’s go. I need to wake up from all this sleeping. “

He ran upstairs and Akira couldn’t see if he was limping or not. He looked fine, his face didn’t contort in pain and he was ready to move, which Akira thought was great, but he couldn’t be sure, considering he didn’t know how damaged his leg had been in the past. 

He huffed out a breath in annoyance. He felt useless, mad at himself because he couldn’t do anything to help, but he guessed at least he was making sure Ryuji didn’t overexert himself. He stepped outside for some fresh air. Not long after, he heard Ryuji’s footsteps lightly stepping downstairs and in the next moment, he was met with a grinning Ryuji in his red running shorts and a white school shirt, probably reserved for PE. 

“Alright, let’s do this! Woo, I’m pumped!” 

Akira looked at him like he just ate a bug and shook his head. 

“I really don’t know what I was thinking, coming here to run with you. I should have a gene for self-preservation somewhere in my body.” 

“We’ll be perfect, don’t worry,” Ryuji started rolling his shoulder blades in an attempt to warm himself up. Akira grumbled and rolled his neck. 

“Yeah, sure, running with a star track team member is in no way going to kill me, uh huh,” He rolled a hair band off his wrist and started gathering his hair in a small bun. His hair was in no way shape or form long enough to gather it all in the band, but he could still make a short ponytail with the hair that annoyed him the most. 

Ryuji was just stretching his legs when he looked over at Akira. His expression of confusion became guarded as soon as he saw Akira tying up his hair, and Akira almost missed how Ryuji’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down before the blonde turned his head away and started warming up his ankles on the ground. 

When they both warmed up, Ryuji locked up his house and they started jogging lightly. Akira did not kid himself with thinking Ryuji normally ran this slow. He was positive the taller boy would be sprinting by now if it wasn’t for the raven slowing him down. 

“We’ll go through the forest. I like that path the best,” Ryuji said, running a few steps in front of Akira to determine the pace and show him the path. 

Akira nodded and started looking around. He wasn’t out of shape, per se, but he didn’t really enjoy running very much. He was better at sneaking around, making himself go unnoticed and sprinting for shorter distances. He didn’t trust himself to say anything, because he faintly remembered he once tried talking while he was running with his friend, and his sides started hurting not long after. 

They kept going at the same pace for a while, and after they got to the macadam road leading into the forest, Ryuji slowed down to start running alongside Akira. He was breathing rather heavily, but he didn’t look like he was in pain or tired, so Akira didn’t question him. 

Ryuji stopped at a crossroads, leaning on his knees and lowering his head. Akira followed suit and for a while they just stood in the middle of the road, trying to calm their breathing. Ryuji still didn’t look tired, which annoyed Akira to no end. He himself was already having a bit of trouble keeping up, and having someone this good a runner around didn’t sit well with him. 

Ryuji then grinned and Akira’s eyes widened at the sight. The blonde’s hair was sticking to his forehead and a few droplets of sweat were making their way down his neck. His eyes looked awake and in the light shining through the trees, they looked like liquid gold splashing in his irises. His smile showed off his white teeth, the canines sticking forward a bit, the sharp ends making them seem like vampire’s teeth. 

Akira’s heart did a leap and he turned his head away, suddenly feeling self-conscious about how he must have looked. He always got flushed in the face when running or doing other sports, which he found pretty annoying and unattractive. 

“We’re halfway through the forest. Now you can choose how we continue. Essentially, they all lead to the same road wrapping around the forest, so it only matters if you don’t want to take the longest route,” Ryuji explained as he rolled his head. 

“Alright then, which is the shortest?” Akira gasped out and Ryuji laughed, throwing back his head. 

“To the right,” He answered and started running again. Akira grimaced and hurried behind him. 

_____

When they got back to the house, Akira was sure his soul was about to leave his body. Even with an injured leg, Ryuji had much more stamina. Akira was ready to pass out, while Ryuji was still standing proudly on his legs. 

“Does… your leg hurt?” Akira asked between gasps, willing his heart not to jump out of his ribcage. 

Ryuji stretched out his leg, turning it different ways with a serious expression. “Nah, it’s fine,” He said after a moment of consideration and then pulled the front door keys from underneath the pot. He opened the doors and they slowly walked into the house, taking off their shoes. 

“We should probably shower. I’ll go first. When I’m done, feel free to go too. I’ll get you something to change into.” 

Ryuji was already walking upstairs. Akira’s shirt was soaked through and that left an uneasy feeling on his skin, so he guessed that was the best course of action. He walked upstairs and stopped in Ryuji’s room to wait for him. He didn’t dare sit anywhere as to not get his sweat on Ryuji’s bed or chair. 

He decided on standing in front of the bookcase, reading the titles. The books were thrown around in no particular order, which just screamed _Ryuji_. He recognized some of the titles and was a bit surprised he saw Ryuji didn’t only have manga in his collection, but also different science fiction, fantasy and action based novels. Ryuji didn’t look like he liked reading, but when Akira thought about it, it suited the blonde boy in a strange sort of way. 

The doors leading to the bathroom swung open and out stepped Ryuji. He had a new shirt on that read hot stuff over his chest and a pair of jean shorts with a chain strapped to the hoops for the belt. A towel was draped around his shoulders, his hair wet from washing it and the strands still stuck to the boy’s forehead. Akira had an irresistible urge to run his fingers through his hair, but before his body could follow up on that wish, the blonde snapped him out of his thoughts. 

“I’ll make us lunch while you shower. Although you could basically call it dinner, it’s getting pretty late.” Ryuji turned towards his wardrobe and started looking through different piles of clothes. 

When he got what he was looking for, he turned around with a red shirt and black pants in hand. 

“Here’ put this on, it should fit you. We’re not that different in size. I also prepared you towels in the bathroom” 

Akira wordlessly took the offered clothes, nodded and walked into the bathroom. He could hear Ryuji’s whistling becoming quieter as the boy walked downstairs. Akira closed the door behind him and turned around to get his bearings. His eyes almost left their sockets when he saw the bathroom. 

The marble walls were all around him, a glass shower taking up a quarter of the room. He saw a place to sit down on in the said shower. In front of it, a line of different products was standing on a tiled shelf, from body wash to hair lotions. 

On the other side was a normal-looking sink, which honestly surprised Akira, considering how the other half of the bathroom looked. Above the sink hung a smaller cupboard with a mirror. He wasn’t even going to start with the toilet. Compared to this, the one at Akira’s house looked antediluvian. He was half expecting to find the three seashells lined next to it, but he was thrilled to find the house still just used normal toilet paper. He didn’t really know what he expected. Considering what Ryuji’s room looked like, the bathroom really just followed suit. 

Akira drew in a breath and slowly let it out. He put his clothes in a neat pile on the laundry basket and stripped down to put his sweaty clothes next to them. He stepped into the shower and needed a few moments to figure out how it worked, pushing different buttons by decoding the different symbols above them. Futaba would have been proud. 

After letting the cold water run over him for a while, he used one of the shampoos in the wall for his body and then hair. He felt an urge to sit down and just fall asleep under the water stream, so he quickly got out before he could make that a reality. He used the towels to dry the droplets running down his skin and stepped into Ryuji’s clothes, grunting with the pain that that move put on his burning thighs. 

He opened the door and a rush of fresh air hit him in the face. He walked down the stairs and followed the faint sound of a Nirvana song playing. When he got to the kitchen, he saw only Ryuji’s back. The boy hadn’t noticed him yet, so Akira took this moment to look around. The kitchen was almost as impressive as the bathroom. 

A red breakfast table was positioned in the middle of the kitchen, behind it was a line of cupboards and a long kitchen counter, around which Ryuji was currently working. On the right, there was a rectangular dinner table made from oak. Behind it, Akira saw a glass door that led to the backyard. Across the whole ceiling, a sunset scene was painted, giving the room a summery vibe. A few chandeliers were scattered across the whole area, which looked like small stars were glittering in the sky of the painting. 

The room resonated with the music Ryuji was blasting through the speakers seated in each corner of the room. Ryuji subconsciously danced to the music. His movements looked hurried and jagged, but also fluid at the same time as he reached around for different ingredients. 

Akira used that moment to make himself heard. He shuffled a bit louder than necessary into the room and decided to stand behind Ryuji. The blonde didn’t make any indication that he registered Akira had even come into the room, but the raven guessed he must’ve seen him, considering he was practically looking over the taller boy’s shoulder to see what he was cooking. 

He drew in a breath and his nose filled with a delicious smell of whatever Ryuji was making. He couldn’t help but make a pleased sound at the back of his throat. 

“What are you making? Smells delicious.” Akira asked and Ryuji grinned, turning his head over his shoulder to look at the boy behind him. 

Akira put some distance between them and Ryuji’s eyes widened a fraction, taking in Akira’s form. The shirt he had lent him was from his school, that much was obvious from the logo on the chest, and it fitted snugly on his shoulders. The soft fabric was comfortable to the touch and Ryuji’s smell residing on the shirt made Akira want to hide his nose in it, lay down on a couch and just sleep. His hair was still wet even after Akira dried it with a towel. It must’ve looked crazy, the moisture making the strands lie in crazy loops around his head. 

Ryuji turned back around and devoted his attention to whisking the tomatoes in a separate bowl. 

“I think it’s called Indian spiced chicken. I added a bit of cauliflower to it.” 

Akira’s salivary glands started producing a lot more saliva. He hummed and leaned on the counter next to Ryuji to look at what he was doing. His movements were quick and practised, which surprised Akira. He didn’t take Ryuji as the cooking type. 

“How come you know how to cook?” He asked before he could stop himself and then shook his head and hurriedly corrected himself. “I mean, I didn’t peg you as one who would.” 

Ryuji smirked, shooting a sideways glance at Akira. He didn’t seem to be offended by the raven’s slip-up. 

“I had to learn. When my mom and I moved away, she didn’t have the time to cook, while already working two part-time jobs. When she got home tired, I had to be able to make something for her. I mean- she didn’t really expect me to, but I would be fucking pissed at myself if I didn’t try to help somehow.” He said as he stirred the meat, before putting a lid on the pot. 

Then he walked to a cupboard and got out a bag of rice. He started cooking it in the rice cooker, seemingly lost in thought, his hands moving of their own accord as if he put them on autopilot. 

Akira quietly thought about that little gem of information. He still knew so little about Ryuji, it drew him closer. He had many layers on, and him taking care of his mother and worrying for her struck a chord in Akira’s heart. 

After the meal was cooked, Ryuji placed the food into two plates and put one in Akira’s hands. 

“Let’s go upstairs. We can watch a movie in my room.” 

He started moving towards the stairs, Akira following him. When they got to the room, they sat down at the edge of Ryuji’s bed. Ryuji pushed his plate in Akira’s arms and stood up, pulling a coffee table to their feet. 

Akira placed the plates of food down on the table and they both sat down, their hands touching. There was so much room on either side of them, but they decided to cram into one little space in the middle of the end of the bed. That was making Akira dizzy, and to clear his mind, he cleared his throat. 

“So… what are we watching?” 

“I thought you’d choose, you’re the guest,” Ryuji bumped his shoulder and Akira groaned. 

“No thank you, that is too much responsibility for a simple man like me,” he croaked and took the plate in his hands, the spoon almost sliding out of it. He stilled himself and fixed the spoon, while Ryuji grinned. 

“Alright then, let’s just see what’s on Netflix.” 

Akira was okay with that idea, so he nodded and stuffed his face with food. His first thought was _Oh my god this is delicious_ , but after a moment, that turned into him almost choking on the food, that was burning hot. 

He slapped his free hand on the mattress and Ryuji shot him an amused glance while scrolling through the recommended feed. 

“Fuck me, this food is hot!” 

Ryuji scratched his chin, “You don’t say, it’s like it was cooking on a stove or something.” 

Akira shot him an annoyed glance, “Enough out of you, I’m the sassy one in the group.” 

Ryuji snorted turned his attention back to the screen. 

“You know what, we should just make it random,” he said and clicked on the button for the random roulette. 

Akira’s soul shattered into a million pieces and he made a choking sound. “NOOO!” 

“Whelp, too late now. You should live on the edge sometimes,” Ryuji said, not looking bothered, not even a little bit. 

Akira looked at Ryuji like he had grass for hair. “You really do have a death wish,” he whispered and slowly looked at the screen. 

Ryuji made a pleased sound. “Oh, this isn’t so bad. See? It was okay.” Akira stared at the title of Big Hero 6. 

“What if it had thrown out 50 shades of grey? I would have killed you.” The broken shell of a man- that was Akira- said. 

Realization hit Ryuji and he pursed his lips in an attempt not to laugh. “Well, I’m glad it didn’t. Come on, eat.” 

Akira shook his head, his eyes still wide open. 

They settled into a comfortable silence, eating the dinner and watching the cartoon. If Akira was being honest, he loved Big Hero 6. It was his favourite Disney movie of all time, and he loved re-watching it again. He sat focused on the story, tearing up at the end as he always did. He sniffled a little and saw Ryuji sneak a glance. 

“Are you crying?” 

“No. It’s just a very emotional part, okay?” Akira said and Ryuji quietly snickered, putting his plate on the coffee table. 

When the credits rolled, Akira looked away from the screen. He glanced at the balcony door on the right and saw that the sun has already set. 

He quickly got his phone out of his pocket and checked the time. He cursed and ran his hand through his hair in annoyance. 

“The last train drove away half an hour ago. Shit. This will be a long way home.” 

Ryuji regarded him for a second before shaking his head. 

“Nah man, stay here. It’s not worth going home now. Also, I won’t let you in the dead of night.” 

Akira looked at Ryuji and searched his expression, looking for a sign of indecision or discomfort. He read his eyes and travelled down to his cheeks, over the dimples forming from his smile, and to the set finality on his lips. Akira sighed. 

“You sure? I don’t want to be a bother.” 

Ryuji shook his head. “Never,” He said, his voice not letting Akira argue. 

“Alright then. You mind if I take the couch?” 

Ryuji looked at him, a confused frown playing on his expression. 

“What are you talking about? You can sleep on the bed. We can both sleep on the bed, actually. There could be four more people here and we would barely be touching each other while sleeping on it.” 

Akira’s brain short-circuited. It short-circuited and started oozing out of his ears. But as he watched into the determined eyes of the blond boy in front of him, he knew he lost the fight before it even began. 

He leaned his head to the side and raised his eyebrows in an Alright-But-This-Was-Your-Idea way. 

“Okay. Thanks.” He said and Ryuji grinned at him, standing up. 

“Great! Well, I’ll just get changed. You can just sleep in this if you’re okay with it. If not, just say the word and I’ll get you something else.” 

Akira dismissed his offer with a wave of his hand and stood up to walk to the head of the bed. Ryuji meanwhile walked into the bathroom. Akira sat down and placed his hand on the pillow. It flattened under his touch and Akira guessed there were real feathers in it. 

The bathroom door opened again and Ryuji emerged, not wearing anything else but boxers. His toned chest was without blemishes, still looking soft and inviting even though the six-pack gracing Akira’s sight begged to differ. His arms looked even more accentuated with no shirt in their way, and as Ryuji stretched his arms above his head, Akira had to force himself to look away. 

His mind begged to be released from this hell as the blonde walked over to the other side of the bed and slipped under the covers. Akira followed suit and lay facing Ryuji. The other boy grinned from the other side of the bed and patted down the side of his pillow to better see Akira. 

“Goodnight,” he said, his voice low and quiet. 

Akira closed his eyes, “Night, Ryuji.” 

_Whelp, I’m in too deep, no going back now_ , were the last thoughts running through Akira’s mind as he drifted into dreamless sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovelies,  
> Here's a filler for you because fuck plot, amirite?  
> As always, kudos or comment if you liked it.  
> have a good day!  
> Potato, out


	11. Chapter 11

Akira's eyes flickered open when a bright stream of light didn’t seem to let up. He looked out of the window to see the sun shining right through it. He panicked when he couldn’t recognize the room he was in, but then his mind calmed down, as he remembered the previous day. So he had slept over at Ryuji’s place. When he looked to his right, he noticed the blond wasn’t in bed anymore. 

He turned around in the bed, the cushions flattening under the weight of his head. He groaned and scowled at the thought of getting up. The bed smelled distinctly of Ryuji and Akira had to prevent himself from burying his head in the faint smell of sandalwood and chocolate. 

If he had a choice, he would never get up. But, as it was, he registered that might not be the best idea and sluggishly stood up from the bed. He went into the bathroom to wash his face and go to the toilet. When passing the mirror, he regarded himself in it and glared at his hair. It was sticking in all directions, the curls making it seem like he was shot by lightning. 

From past experience, he knew it was futile to try and make the bed hair look better, so he merely grumbled at his reflection and turned to walk downstairs. Just like yesterday, a faint sound of music was leading him to the kitchen. He glanced around it to look for the blond and was not disappointed when he noticed him working around the counter. 

At least Ryuji decided to put on an oversized shirt. _Thank God, my soul is safe._ Even then, Akira’s heart stammered a bit too hard against his chest for his liking. 

The green shirt hung loosely on Ryuji’s shoulders and stopped at the middle of his thighs. The sleeves were rolled to his elbows, so as to not get in the way. If Ryuji let them down, they would probably conceal his whole arms, including his fingers. His right knee was still wrapped up in bandages, and Akira noticed some Band-Aids on his forearms, probably for the scratches he endured from the fall. 

Akira’s breath hitched at the sight, but he schooled his features a moment later and he decided to sit down by the breakfast bar and watch Ryuji as he made breakfast. 

“Good morning,” the raven half yawned in greeting. 

Ryuji flinched at the sudden voice, almost dropping the wooden spoon he was holding. He turned around in one fluid motion. 

“Whoa, man, mornin’. You scared me.” He grinned at the sleepy boy in front of him and turned back around to continue stirring the food in the pan. 

Akira smiled tentatively. “Sorry ‘bout that. What’re you cooking?” 

“I decided to make miso soup and oyakodon, if you’re okay with that.” 

“Yep, fine by me.” 

“Oh, I’m guessing you’d like to drink some coffee too, right?” 

Akira grinned and stood up from his chair, “You know me so well.” 

“Not really that hard to guess,” answered Ryuji with a smirk playing on his lips. He shrugged. “I can make it for you, but I’m guessing it won’t be as good as if you make it. If ya want, take the coffee from the cupboard over there.” He gestured to a line of cupboards above the counter with his head. 

“Uhm… which one?” 

“The third on the right.” 

Akira grumbled, “You sounded just like my mom. ‘Take that, put it there, next to this,’ “he mimicked. “Let me tell you, it really gets annoying.” 

Ryuji laughed and shook his head as he stirred the chicken. 

“Sounds like we’d get along,” 

Akira turned in his direction and looked at him with the most horrified expression on his face. 

“Oh, you would,” he said with wide eyes. 

Ryuji grinned. The raven turned towards the cupboard and looked inside. 

“Instant coffee?! I can’t work with this! Where are you hiding the beans?” 

“I’m not hiding the beans. Instant coffee is all we have,” Ryuji shrugged his shoulders. 

Akira let out an affronted gasp and pulled out the package to look inside. “What?! All this money and you don’t buy coffee beans instead of instant coffee?!” 

Ryuji raised his hands with the palms out in defence, “Hey, I don’t drink coffee, and mom isn’t that big of a fan either.” 

Akira was still looking at the package and then put in on the counter in a gesture of finality. 

“Well, next time we meet we are going shopping, and we are getting you some coffee beans. If we want me coming over more, we need good coffee. Not… this.” He smelled the contents and cringed before grinning at the blond beside him. 

Ryuji rolled his eyes, “Sure, anything for you,” he said mockingly and Akira smirked in victory. “Oh, while you’re at it, grab me some tea from the same cupboard.” 

Akira blinked at him with surprised eyes. _Tea? Really? Wow, I learn something new every day._ He nodded and opened the cupboard. ”Which one do you want?” 

“Eh, just get me the vanilla one.” 

Akira did as he was told, boiling the water and preparing Ryuji a cup with the teabag in it. 

When the shorter boy made them coffee and tea respectfully and Ryuji prepared them their breakfast, they sat down behind the breakfast counter and idly started eating their food. Akira was still surprised to see how good a cook Ryuji actually was. 

Even though the blond was pushed to learn how to cook at first, Akira could see how much love he poured into every motion while making the food. He thought Ryuji to look out of place in a kitchen, but the more Akira thought about it, the more he saw how it clicked together. 

After finishing his plate, Ryuji stood up and walked back to the counter. 

“There’s more food left if ya wanna.” 

“Oh, Yeah, please. It’s really good.” 

Ryuji grinned and brought him the remainders of the food. Then he walked to the corner of the counter, picked up a sugar pot and brought it back to his seat. He put a spoon of sugar into the cup. And a second. And then another. Akira looked at Ryuji’s hand, still dropping more spoons of sugar in the cup. He couldn’t look away from the sight, his eyes glued to the horror, completely baffled and a bit scared if he was being honest. 

“Do you want some tea with this sugar?” He asked after a while, looking at the not at all alarmed Ryuji. He counted six spoons of sugar. 

Six. 

_Oh boy._

“Good thing you like to run, or your veins would be sticking together right now.” 

Ryuji scoffed, “If it’s not sweet enough, you add sugar.” 

Akira looked at him doubtfully, “I’m surprised the added sugar didn’t clog up the paths to your brain yet. Although, that would explain some things.” 

Ryuji scowled at him good-naturedly and bumped their shoulders together. 

Akira laughed and after a good half an hour after they ate, they were still sitting in the kitchen in a comfortable silence. Akira stretched out his arms above his head and rolled his neck, but didn’t miss how Ryuji’s gaze trailed the raven’s stomach when the shirt rode a bit higher with Akira’s movement. He suppressed a smirk and stood up. _Huh. Interesting._

“Alright, I guess I should be going now. Thanks for letting me sleep over.” He leaned on the counter, gently crossing his arms over his chest. “And for the food.” He added after a second and looked at Ryuji, who was still sitting on his chair. 

“What? Oh, come on, stay for a bit, it’s only nine in the morning.” 

Akira regarded Ryuji for a second and shook his head. “I think I should really be going. I’ve been imposing for too long.” 

“Who said anything about imposing? I’d be happy if you’d stay a while longer.” He leaned his head to the side and stared with puppy eyes at the curly haired boy. _Fuck. Puppy eyes, my ultimate weakness._

Akira’s heart clenched and he looked up at the ceiling, exasperated. 

“Well, I guess I already stayed over for so long, Sojiro won’t start missing me quite yet.” He shrugged. “Okay, sure, if you’re okay with that.” 

His gaze was met with Ryuji’s, smiling from ear to ear, as he hopped off the chair and punched the air. 

“Alright, that’s what I’m talking about!” 

Akira stared at him with an amused look. “So what do you want to do now?” 

Ryuji’s gaze sobered up and he started thinking. “Well, we can go play some games in my room?” 

Akira smiled, “Sure, that sounds good.” 

Ryuji grinned, “Alright, great! I just have to clean the dishes, you wait for me in my room. You can choose which game to play.” 

“Are you sure you don’t need any help?” 

Ryuji dismissed him with a wave of his hand, “Nah, you go on ahead. I’ll be quick.” 

Akira nodded and went into Ryuji’s room. His breath still hitched sometimes when he entered it. He couldn’t get used to the big space, the punching bag on the side of the room with other sports equipment which must have cost a lot. And he had his own balcony. Akira knew that wasn’t such a huge deal, but he himself never had it, so of course, he was going to be excited. 

He walked over to the bookcase and looked at the games on display. If he was Futaba, he’d be fuming at the mouth right about now. He mused to himself and just picked out Portal 2. He would get his ass kicked at any of these; with Portal, at least, they had to work together. And use their brains. 

He sat down in front of the bed and waited for Ryuji. He didn’t have to wait for long, as he was already coming up the stairs. 

“Here I am, what did you choose? Portal? Alright, I can work with that. You not a fan of being beaten at Mario Kart? Just a sec, I’ll put something on,” Ryuji grinned and walked over to the bathroom. 

A moment later, he emerged with the pants from the previous day and a different shirt on, and sat down next to Akira, taking the other controller in his hands. 

They worked through the puzzles relatively quickly, mostly because Ryuji had played through the game so many times he could somewhat remember what to do at any level, which annoyed Akira to no end. 

“Alright, so here we have to-“

“No, nuh-uh, do not tell me the solution, I got this!” Akira snapped and traced his lips with his tongue in concentration. Ryuji snorted and held up his hands. 

“Alright, alright, I’ll follow you.” 

“Okay, bring this cube… bring it to me. Make the portal on the floor under the cube and- no! What are you doing?” 

“I’m launching the cube over the glass wall.” 

“Why?!” 

“I don’t know. Just felt like it.” 

Akira gave him an exasperated look and they continued playing until half of the levels were done. Akira then lay his head on the end of the bed and took a deep breath. 

“What, we done for today?” Ryuji asked with a cheeky grin. 

Akira narrowed his eyes at the taller boy. 

“You keep fucking up, on purpose. Shame! How will you ever follow my instructions in the field?” 

Ryuji grinned and mimicked Akira’s stance, leaning his head on the bed next to Akira. 

“Just don’t act too bossy and we’ll be golden. I get an urge to do just the opposite if someone orders me to do something.” 

Akira shot him a scandalized look, “Bossy? Bitch, I’m the leader, I gotta be bossy!” 

Ryuji pursed his lips in a thin line to prevent himself from laughing. 

Akira scowled and looked at the screen. “Alright, what do you wanna do now?” 

The raven-haired boy could feel Ryuji’s gaze on him. His body was turned in such a way that he was focusing all his attention on Akira. 

“I don’t know, 21 questions?” 

Akira looked at him incredulously. “21 questions? It’s like we’re in middle school again.” 

“Well, it’s a good way to get to know someone better.” Ryuji shrugged and Akira snapped his head to look at him. Then he shrugged, letting out a slow sigh before smirking at the boy next to him. 

“Ah, what the heck, why not. Alright, you start.” 

Ryuji beamed and straightened his position, turning his head away from Akira and looking forward. 

“Alright, let me see… Favourite colour?” 

Akira snorted. “Of course, the essential first question. Three questions later you’ll be asking when I lost my virginity.” 

Ryuji sputtered and tried to deny the accusation, but Akira held up his hand for the blond to keep quiet. 

“Red. What is your favourite song?” 

“I can’t just choose one! There are too many!” Ryuji looked so shaken up by the question that Akira had to snicker. 

“Alright. Let me rephrase the question. What is your favourite song at the moment?” 

“I guess… Hurricane by Thirty Seconds to Mars.” 

Akira inclined his head in an interested expression. “Never heard of it.” 

“You should, it’s really good. Okay. If you could choose, what would be your superpower?” 

“Flying. I’d love to know how to fly. What about you?” 

“Wh- you can’t repeat the question!” 

“Well, I’m interested, tell me.” 

Ryuji scoffed and then schooled his features. 

“Reading minds. That would be so awesome.” 

Akira shot him a surprised look. “Reading minds? Wouldn’t that be awful?” 

“Not really, no.” 

“Okay, so what are the limitations? Surely you wouldn’t like hearing what people are thinking all the time.” 

“Well, I guess the limitations I’d give myself are… the person has to be in my line of sight. Not through pictures or media. And I can choose when to read them. Do you know how easy it would be to just listen to the smartest person in class thinking while taking a test? I’d be the best!” 

Akira scoffed. “Of course you’d use the power to cheat on tests. But, you would still fail essays.” 

Ryuji cringed, “Fuck, you’re right. Damn.” 

Akira smiled at him and noticed how the chocolate in his eyes swirled around. 

“Alright, your question next.” 

“If you were an animal, what would you be?” 

“A cat. Easy. Although I’d like to have good owners. I’d live like a king.” 

Ryuji laughed, throwing his head back, “Alright, not surprised by that answer.” 

“My turn. When was your first crush?” 

Ryuji’s eyes widened and he cleared his throat. He laughed awkwardly. “So we’re already on these kinds of questions? I think I was around eleven. She was a girl in my class. A bit of a bitch.” 

Akira barked out a laugh and looked at Ryuji. “So, you’re not good at picking crushes?” 

Ryuji smirked and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Eh, I think I’m getting better at it. So when _did_ you lose your virginity?” He asked, looking pointedly at the curly haired man, throwing a question back. 

Akira smirked and shook his head. “A year and a half ago. I was seventeen. My ex-boyfriend, a bit of a dick.” 

Ryuji laughed and looked at Akira, the corners of his eyes crinkling with the smile gracing his features. 

“So I guess I’m not the only one bad at picking the right people.” 

Akira snorted and wanted to retort something funny, but when he looked at the blond his words left him. He smiled gently. 

“You could say I’m getting better at it, too.” 

They held their gazes for what seemed like an eternity before Akira spoke up again. 

“When’s your birthday?” 

“July 3.” 

“Wait, so how old are you now?” 

“I’m 19.”

Akira scowled, “We’re like three months apart, you’re older.” 

Ryuji shot him an amused glance, “Is that bad? When is your birthday?” 

Akira shifted his weight. “September 15.” 

“Whoa, so like in a month?” 

Akira nodded and Ryuji grinned, showing off his white teeth. “Awesome, we gotta celebrate! We’ll throw the sickest party!” 

Akira raised one eyebrow, “You seem excited.” 

“Sure I am, birthdays are amazing. Alright, next question.” 

“If you could change something from your past, would you do it?” 

As soon as Akira uttered the question, a feeling of dread seeped into his lungs. He looked at Ryuji, who was carefully staring forward. He was biting his lip, the worry lines appearing on his forehead. But nothing could prepare Akira for the brown eyes, devoid of all emotion. 

Ryuji was looking forward without blinking and Akira just wanted to start apologizing, when Ryuji lowered his gaze onto his hands resting in his lap. 

“I-,” he started, voice sombre, but not quivering, which Akira guessed was a good thing. 

He wanted to hear more from the boy but didn’t like pushing him, so he rested his hand on Ryuji’s shoulder and looked at him with a sideways glance. 

“You don’t need to reply, I just asked without thinking. I’m sorry.” 

Ryuji closed his eyes and shook his head. 

“No, I wouldn’t. What happened in the past made me who I am today. And look, I’m doing just great.” The blonde said, finally turning his head to look at Akira. 

He smiled and Akira smiled in reply. The blond’s eyes regained some emotion and that did wonders in alleviating the tension Akira was suddenly feeling in his chest. 

The younger boy nodded, turning his gaze towards the TV screen before them. 

“What’s your favourite pick-up line?” Ryuji asked, the upbeat tone making Akira look at him carefully. 

“You sure you want to hear it? I’ve killed people with this line.” 

Ryuji spread his arms and lowered his head, looking up at Akira through his hair, his eyes full of mirth. 

“Hit me with your best shot.” 

Akira smirked and turned all the way towards Ryuji. The blond looked at him, clearly interested and Akira leaned his head a bit to the side, letting a small smile play on his lips. 

“Cupid called. He wants to tell you that he needs my heart back.” He said with a smirk he knew turned heads.

Ryuji looked at him for a second, then he blinked twice, and scrunched his nose. 

“That was… I’m not sure how to feel about it. I hate it, but at the same time, I-“ Ryuji’s sentence was cut short as his phone rang on the bed. He turned around and looked at the caller ID. 

His face lit up and he turned towards Akira. 

“One sec, it’s my mom.” 

Akira nodded and Ryuji was already leaning into the phone. 

“Hi, mom, how are you? Yeah, I missed you too. Yeah, I already did. No, I got a friend over… No, you haven’t met him…” He looked at Akira apologetically and grimaced. 

Akira, on the other hand, was having quite some fun. It was nice seeing Ryuji communicate with his mother. He spoke with a certain softness he wasn’t used to from the blond. 

“Akira. Yep. No- what?! Mom! What? Really?” Ryuji smiled brightly, staring at the floor while talking on the phone. 

Akira couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but Ryuji seemed thrilled. ”Yep… yeah, I can’t wait either. Alright… I’ll call you again later. Yes. Love you too, mom.” 

Ryuji pushed the button to break off the call and stood up from where he was sitting, stretching his hands over his head. 

“Sorry ‘bout that. She just called to check up on me and to tell me she’ll be coming back in a week.” He told the younger male, his bright smile stretching over his whole face. 

Then he schooled his features. 

“She’s actually the reason I decided to help you and Futaba.” 

Akira perked up at the confession and looked at Ryuji, waiting for him to continue. 

“Mom had to work really hard to come to where she is now, but my old man made it hard for her all the way. He was dragging her from court to court and it almost crushed her. He tried to steal all her money, sue her for countless petty accusations that didn’t stick in the long run, but if he had some more influence, like other people, he would most probably succeed in putting her away for a while.” 

Akira frowned, “How? Did she do anything for him to be able to make that happen?” 

“Nah, she didn’t. But it wouldn’t really matter. If he had enough money, he could do anything, make up a story that would put her in jail…” Ryuji shook his head and turned his gaze to the floor. 

Akira scowled, “Shit…”

“Yeah… well, that’s all behind me. But that’s why I wanted to help you guys. To make sure things like that don’t happen. Or, would be repaid in some manner, even if it’s just stealing and giving back.” He gave the faintest of smiles. “I was thinking, would you be able to show me how to pick locks? If I’ll be working with you guys, I’m sure it will come in handy.” 

Akira blinked at him and smirked. “Sure, I can do that. Just make sure you’ll be able to keep up. How is your leg?” 

Ryuji twisted his leg while Akira searched his face for any shows of discomfort or pain. The blond boy shrugged. 

“It feels fine. I’ll probably be good to go in two days.” 

Akira nodded, “Alright, I’ll inform Futaba, and we’ll talk about our next step after we bring the stolen items back to Okumura’s house if that’s okay with you.” 

Ryuji gave him a thumbs up. “Sure, sounds great.” 

Akira scratched his neck and then snapped his gaze to the standing man before him. 

“You said you know martial arts, right? Could you show me some self-defence moves someday? I know the basics, but I’m not sure it would be enough to help me if anything truly serious happened. Y’know, I teach you, you teach me. Symbiosis.” 

Ryuji snorted but nodded and walked over to the punching bag, giving it a small push, his mind lost in thought. 

“That’s fine by me. You can just message me when you’ll have the time. I’m free everyday anyways.” 

“Alright, thanks,” Akira stood up and pulled his phone out of his pocket to check his messages. 

One missed call and two text messages, all of this from Futaba. Akira scrunched up his eyebrows and opened his phone. 

**Futaba:** Hey, where’ve you been? Sojiro said you hadn’t come home yesterday. ≧☉_☉≦

 **Futaba:** Message me when you get this. ╚(ಠ_ಠ)=┐ 

“Huh, turns out Futaba’s missing me already. She’s asking where I’ve been.” He smirked and started typing a reply. 

Ryuji scratched his neck, a timid smile forming on his face. “I guess I’ve been keeping you from home long enough, huh. I feel like Futaba will have my head if you don’t show up at her front door in two minutes.” 

Akira grimaced. “Yeah, I wouldn’t put that past her. You should watch you back for the next couple of days.” He turned towards the blond, who was now leaning on the wall behind the punching bag, one leg propped up on the wall and his arms crossed in front of him, making his biceps seem more prominent. He was tilting his head and smirking mischievously. 

“Or better yet, you should watch your phone and computer.” 

**Akira:** I was at Ryuji’s. I’ll be home in an hour. 

Ryuji laughed, “Duly noted. Do not piss off the tech whiz.” 

“Yeah, that’s like angering the team healer in Dungeons and Dragons. You will die.” 

They stood, facing each other for a moment, basking in the soothing silence, before Akira let out a soft sigh and turned around, grabbing his clothes on the way out, Ryuji right behind him. They got to the front door and Akira slowly put on his shoes and waved his hand. 

“Thanks for having me. And for not kicking me out yesterday.” 

Ryuji snorted, “Don’t mention it. Say hi to Futaba for me and message me when you get home, ‘kay?” 

Akira shot him a sideways glance and raised one eyebrow, “Will this become a routine?” 

“Whatever do you mean?” Akira could hear a hint of a smile from the taller man as he started walking towards the road. 

“The ‘message me when you get home’, thing.” 

“I don’t know, will it?” 

Akira turned around and looked at Ryuji. The boy was leaning on the doorframe, much like before in his room. He kicked the dust with his leg and made a small motion of a salute towards Akira. The raven snorted and turned around so he didn’t trip and fall. 

“I guess we’ll see. Bye, Ryuji,” He called over his shoulder and heard a faint laugh before hearing the sound of a door closing. 

_____

Akira stopped in front of Sojiro’s house and checked his messages. 

**Futaba:** Swing by my room when you get home. Also, bring pads. 

**Akira:** The blue ones with butterflies and five droplets? 

**Futaba:** Yep yep 

**Akira:** Coming right up. 

**Futaba:** Thank youuu (づ￣ ³￣)づ

The boy slowly opened the front door and stepped into the darkness of the Sakura house. He still couldn’t get used to the quiet of the apartment, the eerie silence sometimes still getting to him. He turned towards the door, plastered with keep out signs and nocked before stepping into Futaba’s room. 

“Knock knock, I heard her majesty wishes to see me?” 

Futaba was lying on her bed, laying on five different blankets, a laptop in front of her. She was furiously typing away on it, ignoring the mountain of chocolate bars next to her and soda cans littered all over her room. 

“Whoa, did a bomb explode in here?” Akira asked, tentatively stepping inside and closing the door behind him. 

He put two packets of pads next to her and sat down on the chair, which was currently unoccupied. Futaba was chewing on her bottom lip. Akira was guessing she was still searching and gathering information for their next raid and when he looked at her closely, he could see her dishevelled hair and eye bags under her eyes that didn’t look completely healthy. 

He frowned and shot a glare her way before he stood up and started cleaning up the place. 

“How much of real food have you had to eat for the past few days?” 

Futaba finally registered his presence. She turned around and sat up on her bed. Akira knew how much work she put into her research, not wanting to make a single mistake. He applauded her for it, but he also knew she sometimes forgot to take proper care of herself when she was this deep in her work. 

The redhead shrugged and corrected the position of her glasses. 

“I don’t know. Don’t remember. Hey, thanks for the pads.” 

Akira shook his head but looked at her with a calculating expression. 

“Don’t mention it. Did you shower today? Yesterday? _Any_ day?” 

He continued cleaning up the place, throwing the cans and chocolate wrappers into one big trash bag. The girl leaned her head sideways in contemplation and Akira huffed out a breath. 

“Okay, that’s enough of an answer as it is. Go take a shower, shoo,” He waved his hand and opened the door to the hallway. 

Futaba looked like she wanted to protest, but when she saw the stare Akira graced her with, she only pouted and slowly stood up. As she did, she cringed and placed her right hand on her stomach. 

“Might as well take some painkillers while I’m at it,” She muttered under her breath and briskly walked into the bathroom. 

When Akira heard the water running, he continued with the cleaning, and decided to message Ryuji. 

**Akira:** Just got home. You’re safe from Futaba, it doesn’t seem like she wants your head. 

**Ryuji:** Great and thaNK GOD ༼ つ ಥ_ಥ ༽つ

Akira snorted at the reply and almost dropped the trash bag. 

He opened the windows, letting the fresh air and bright sunlight in. When he took out the trash and came back inside, Futaba was already sitting down on her chair, a towel draped around her shoulders, just enough to catch the drops of water from her long hair. 

“So, since I’m guessing you haven’t had quality food to eat since we last saw each other, I’m taking you out to eat some real food.” 

Futaba pouted, “But my hair is still wet.” She whined, but Akira raised his hand and shook his head. 

“You are not fighting me on this. We are going. Your hair will dry in the hot sun anyway, and no one will care.” 

Futaba let out a long breath and stood up. “You clearly don’t know how hair work,” she muttered under her breath but when Akira just pointedly glared at her, she raised her hands in defeat. 

“Alright, okay. Don’t get your panties in a twist. So you slept over at Ryuji’s. What’s up with that?” She raised her eyebrows at him expectantly, pushing out her hip and leaning one hand against it. 

Akira internally slammed his head against a wall. _Of course,_ he knew this was coming. 

“Nothing’s up with that,” He mimicked her tone of voice. “I just went there to hang out, but lost track of time and missed the last train. He let me stay over.” 

Futaba was still staring at him with a serious expression, although her eyes looked anything but. 

“And that’s it?” 

Akira felt his spirit leave his body. He knew it wouldn’t be that easy to explain to her, even though it was true. And frankly, he didn’t feel like explaining everything to the redhead just yet. He had to determine things for himself first, so he glared at her over the rim of his glasses in a clear message- _drop it._

“Yes, that’s it. Now get your shoes, we’re going.” 

Futaba slowly let out a sigh and picked up her laptop. She walked past him towards the front entrance, before shooting him a grin. 

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you why I wanted you to come here.” 

Akira wrinkled his forehead, “You mean you didn’t want me here just to nag and for me to get you out of the house?” 

“No, why would I want you to get me out of the house? That’s the worst idea.” She shot him an incredulous look, but then grinned devilishly. If Akira didn’t know her, he was sure he would cross the street if he was walking towards her when she had that smile on her face. 

“No, I just found the perfect criminal for us.” 


	12. Chapter 12

“Alright, spill. What criminal did you find?” Akira asked with a mouthful of niratama donburi, glancing at Futaba sitting opposite of him. 

They decided to go to a restaurant closest to them. It wasn’t a well-known place, and they could relax when they entered it. There was only one couple sitting in the far left corner of the restaurant, speaking in hushed tones and giggling to each other. Akira and Futaba decided to sit in a booth on the opposite side, making sure no one could hear what they were talking about. 

Even though Futaba complained about leaving the house, Akira heard her stomach rumble when they entered the restaurant and a wave of sweet smells attacked their senses. Futaba decided to order a pork cutlet bowl and was currently downing the second one. 

Akira decided he won’t stop her from ordering even a third if she wanted. She hadn’t slept for days if the bags under her sunken eyes were any indication, and he didn’t believe she took the time to eat, either. 

She put down the bowl and ran the back of her hand over her mouth, then turned the laptop screen towards Akira. His face was met with a man in his fifties wearing a suit. From his stance and expression, Akira assumed him to be a businessman. He didn’t recognise his face from anywhere. His face was round and his bushy eyebrows made Akira think of two caterpillars. 

The dark brown eyes looked lifeless, projecting a sort of superiority. Because of his receding hairline, he looked older than he probably was. The rest of his black hair was swept back and his striped black and white tie was neatly tied around his neck. Akira didn’t recognize the man and looked questioningly at the girl, waiting for her to elaborate. 

“Sora Watanabe. He has been gaining reputation fairly swiftly in nearby cities. When I was loitering around the dark web yesterday, I found some interesting connections to his name. 

"Apparently, he has a rather large sum of laundered money under his thumb. He has several bank accounts open in different banks to avoid suspicion of money laundering, but between these bank accounts, I found one that stuck out to me like a sore thumb. 

"I think this bank is working with Watanabe and is letting him keep a crapton of money in one safe if that means the owner of the bank gets some of the profit.” 

“Which bank?” 

“Hirabayashi Banking Company.” Akira pulled out his phone and started googling the name. “Anyway, if you’d let me continue.” 

Akira waved his hand at her to show her that he was listening, although he was still looking at his phone. Futaba sighed and continued. 

“This specific safe is much more heavily guarded than others, and if my sources are correct, there should be around seven million yen in the bank account.” 

Akira bulged out his eyes and whistled. Futaba nodded and shifted in her seat. He knew she wanted to bring her legs up on the seat and Akira could almost feel the annoyance in the air when she figured she couldn’t. 

“I looked around some more, and I saw that the director of the Hirabayashi Company has a history of working and praising Watanabe, even before he got this influential. In my humble opinion, they are in cahoots.” 

Akira snorted and put the phone on the table, taking another bite of his eggs. “ I can’t find anything interesting about them, they probably keep a pretty low profile so as not to attract unwanted attention. So where do they get all this dirty money?” 

Futaba gulped down her water and shrugged. “Drug smuggling, illegal gambling, the usual.” 

“So you think we should break into this heavily guarded bank and steal from this even more heavily guarded safe?” 

Futaba inclined her head and then nodded, a small smile reaching her eyes. “Yeah, I do. The alarms would be no problem for me,” she scoffed, taking a sip of her coffee. “I mean, I’m not Medjed for nothing. The problem actually lies somewhere else.” 

“Where exactly?” 

“See, the bank normally keeps all the files with the information on the safes in their computers, as well as the keys for said safes. I tried to search for this particular one through the lists in their computers, and find the key for it, but I couldn’t find it.” 

Akira drew his eyebrows together. “So… where is it?” 

Futaba raised her hand and ordered Dorayaki, the pancakes the restaurant was promoting at the front. 

“I have a teeny suspicion he has it with him at all times.” 

“And how do you plan on getting it? This is bordering on a pretty dangerous territory, Futaba.” 

Futaba held up her hands. “I know, I know, but hear me out,” Akira raised his eyebrows. “Seven million yen.” 

The boy grumbled, “I’m listening. But I don’t need to like it. This is pretty dangerous stuff. We haven’t stolen from a drug trafficking leader before.” Futaba smiled at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. 

“So I already found his residence... It’s one hour ride away with the train.” She turned the laptop towards herself and started typing, before turning it back around and revealing the train lines connecting two cities. “This is where his house is.” 

Akira looked at the mansion projected on the screen and raised his eyebrows. “It’s like the white house. Where is he able to hide it?” 

Futaba shrugged her shoulders, “Because of his influence in the political world, no one questions him on why he has such a big house. I probably wouldn’t be surprised either, if I was just walking past it.” 

“So how do you expect us to get inside this place? I have a feeling this will be harder to infiltrate than the Vatican Secret Archives.” 

“Well, I was thinking we could send in one of you, to work there for two weeks. We could probably get you a job as a cleaner or a janitor. I think they need those on a daily basis in this house. Even a gardener could work, he has a big ass garden in front of the house.” 

Akira scrolled through the pictures showing the outside of the house. In front of it, there was a garden, filled with sunflowers, tulips, forget-me-nots and gladiolus. At the side, he noticed an old well and next to it, there was a circular paving with two sofas and a small water fountain. On the right side of the house, there was a glass garden pavilion. 

Around it, there were cherry blossom trees growing, making it look like a place out of a fairy-tale. Behind it, moving around the house, Akira noticed a stone archway, leading to a hedge. In the middle of the hedge, Akira spotted an entrance and he stopped in his tracks. 

“This guy has a hedge labyrinth. Why do you need a hedge labyrinth? Just plant the money into one of the offshore banks, save it for something else, Jesus Christ.” 

Futaba snickered and looked at the picture. “Maybe he needs it to hide the bodies.” 

“What bodies? Futaba don’t even joke about that, that’s awful.” He grimaced and Futaba laughed, leaning back in her seat. 

They stopped talking when the waitress came back with Futaba’s dessert and refilled Akira’s empty cup of coffee. They thanked her and she quietly left. Futaba schooled her featured and shot a small smile at the boy. 

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry. It’s just so easy to rile you up.” 

Akira shot her a glare and then concentrated back on the picture. 

“You said you need one of us to work here for a while, right?” he said, looking down in his lap, turning the information in his head. 

Futaba regarded him for a second and nodded. “Yeah, what are you thinking? I can hear the gears turning in your head.” 

Akira uncomfortably shifted in his seat, carefully looking at the picture of the house. 

“Do they… have their own kitchen? With hired cooks?” 

Futaba frowned and took the laptop in her lap. She punched in a series of words, scrolled through the information the laptop threw at her and nodded. 

“Yeah, they do, why?” 

“Well…” Akira scratched his neck. “Ryuji knows how to cook. He’s really good.” He said tentatively, not wanting to utter the idea that has formed in his head. 

He trusted Ryuji, but he didn’t want him to be in enemy territory for approximately two weeks. It just sounded too dangerous. 

Futaba shifted her legs. “How good?” 

“Amazing good.” 

Futaba nodded, inclining her head and regarding Akira over the rim of her glasses. 

“That’s a good idea, then. But you don’t sound pleased.” 

Akira looked at the table, afraid of meeting Futaba’s gaze. 

Futaba hummed and tapped her fingers on the table. “So… you’re afraid.” 

Akira grimaced and shook his head. “It’s not like that, I… I’m more concerned, I guess.” 

“But you do understand this sounds like the best course of action, don’t you? There are guards patrolling this place almost every second of every day, we _will_ need someone from the inside. 

“We could probably get some information from the workers there, see what they know, and figure out where he’s hiding the key. Considering you don’t know how to garden and Ryuji probably isn’t that good of a cleaner, this sounds like a perfect idea.” 

“I-“ Akira tried to object, but Futaba held up her hand and the boy closed his mouth. 

“We’ll ask Ryuji first. It’s his choice anyway.” 

Akira bit back a growl, rising from deep in his stomach. He looked at Futaba with lowered head and his eyes screamed hostility. Futaba leaned back on the wall behind her, putting some distance between her and the electricity crackling in Akira’s eyes. 

She wasn’t afraid of him, but she became more attentive to his actions. She couldn’t remember the last time he looked this aggresive.

“You know full well he’ll want to do this. The guy barely thinks before jumping into anything," he growled, rigidly placing his hands on the table.

Futaba frowned and relaxed her posture to calm the raven down. 

“Okay, Akira, chill.” She bit out and Akira blinked twice before relaxing in his seat. 

He closed his eyes and slowly let out a breath. 

“I’m sorry. Didn’t want to make you nervous, I just don’t want to throw Ryuji into a dangerous situation as soon as we return things to Okumura’s house.” 

Futaba huffed out a breath. “I get it. Believe me, I do. I go through the same thing every time I have to just sit in my chair and watch you do all the hard work. But Akira, you need to look at this from a practical standpoint. 

”If I had managed to keep my cool through all the previous robberies, and you won’t be able to do the same now, I’ll be disappointed. You know this to be the best course of action for us if we want to make this work.” 

Akira took his head in his hands, “Alright. Yeah, you’re right. But, I want to be there, too.” 

Futaba clicked her tongue and started typing on her keyboard. 

“That won’t be possible. It would look too suspicious if two people suddenly wanted to work there, both about the same age.” 

The raven grumbled, glaring at his cup of coffee. 

“You’ll have to trust him.” 

“I do trust him,” Akira muttered under his breath, still waiting for the coffee to boil under the heat of his gaze. 

“Then act like it,” The redhead said with a finality in her voice. 

She was still typing on her laptop, and Akira used this moment to message Ryuji. 

**Akira:** Hey, just found our new target. We’ll talk more about it next week, after the Okumura mission. 

Futaba tsked and closed her laptop. “I’ll prepare a fake identity for him. He’ll be fine.” 

“You sound like he already agreed to the mission. This has to be a unanimous decision,” Akira said, still holding onto a sliver of hope that Ryuji might not agree with the idea of sending him in. He knew it was far-fetched, but he didn’t care. 

Futaba raised an eyebrow at the boy that was now slowly sipping his lukewarm coffee but didn’t comment. 

“Akira, Futaba, fancy seeing you here,” The cousins turned around at the same time. 

Futaba grinned when she saw the thin girl with short hair of dark brown colour waving at them from the entrance, and another with light brown curly hair briskly walking to their table.

They were both wearing cardigans, the curly haired girl wearing a pink one, while the other girl looked cozy in a white one with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows.

Akira guessed it was already late enough that the warmth of the day evaporated, making them put on warm shoes and thick black leggings. 

“Haru! Makoto, we haven’t seen each other for a while, what are you two doing here?” Futaba asked, moving to the back of the booth. Haru sat down next to her and Makoto stopped at their table, standing until Akira moved out of the way too. She sat down next to him and smiled warmly. 

“We were just in the neighbourhood and got hungry,” Makoto answered, waving to the waitress to get their orders. Haru ordered green tea and spaghetti while Makoto decided on a mineral water and a beef bowl. 

Makoto looked at Futaba’s already impressive stack of plates and looked at Akira questioningly. The boy shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. He corrected his glasses. 

“She hasn’t been eating much the past few days. Apparently, hunger is catching up to her. Of course, if I hadn’t forced her to go out, she would still be lying in her chocolate bar wrappings” 

Haru giggled, hiding her smile behind her hand and crossed her right leg over the other. 

Akira’s phone chimed and he looked at Ryuji’s icon, opening the message he received. 

**Ryuji:** Awesome, can’t wait! ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿'̿'\̵͇̿̿\з= ( ▀ ͜͞ʖ▀) =ε/̵͇̿̿/’̿’̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿

Akira snorted, putting his phone back into his pant pocket, focusing his attention on Haru, who was looking at his cousin with a jovial expression and motherly love. 

“Were you on the computer the whole time again, Futaba? We talked about this already, you shouldn’t be doing that. It’s unhealthy.” 

Futaba scoffed and pushed her bangs out of her eyes. “I was looking into a new heist. It takes work and dedication to the end, thank you very much.” 

Makoto frowned and regarded Akira with a glare. The boy tried to gulp down his saliva without the girl noticing, but was not successful. 

“Don’t tell me you are still doing this. What did I say the last time you almost got caught?” She asked, inclining her head and waiting for Akira to answer as if that wasn’t a hypothetical question. 

“That… it’s not a good idea?” Akira tried, glancing at Haru for help. The sweet girl sitting diagonally of him took pity and placed her palm on Makoto’s forearm. 

“Makoto, don’t be so hard on him, you know it’s their choice if they wish to continue. And even then, they helped you, too, did they not?” 

Makoto grumbled, but her eyes lost some of the hardness, the crimson turning into a reddish brown. 

“Sorry. I just worry for you two,” She shifted in her seat, looking down at the table and fiddling with the teaspoon she stole from Haru. 

Futaba shrugged and grinned in an only answer, while Akira cleared his throat.

“It’s fine, I get it. While we’re on the topic, how is Eiko?” Akira asked to diffuse the situation and turn the conversation in another direction, possibly as far away from their heist plans as possible.” The girl lifted her head and smiled, her eyes glittering with gratitude. 

“She’s doing good, thank you for asking. Since repaying her debt and getting rid of that boyfriend, she has been much more content with life. Of course, I only have you to thank for that.” She said, gently leaning on Akira’s side. 

Tension from the raven’s muscles dissipated like fog, “I’m glad. See, what we do had helped you, too, in the past.” 

Makoto pursed her lips and Futaba interjected. “We’re being careful, honest.” 

Haru held up her arm, grabbing the attention of everyone around the table, “That reminds me, how is that sweetheart, Ryuji? You didn’t scare him away already, did you?” 

Futaba leaned into Haru’s space conspiratorially. “No, we didn’t, in fact, Akira just came back from sleeping over at his house yesterday.” 

Haru’s eyes glued themselves onto the boy in front of her, and he was sure his cheeks were as red as Makoto’s eyes. He glared at Futaba and kicked her under the table. The girl gasped and brought the assaulted leg up to her stomach. 

“Ouch! That is why I always sit with my legs pressed to my body!” 

“Are you sure that’s not because you’re just really fucking weird?” His voice held no venom and Futaba pointed her index finger into his chest. 

“My momma always told me I’m special, I don’t know anything about being weird.” 

Haru giggled and waved her hand between the two, breaking their eye contact. 

“So, you slept over at his place? How come?” She inclined her head in an obvious interest. 

Akira grumbled, mad that he had to explain this again, “I just missed the last train and had nowhere else to go, so he let me stay over.” 

The curly haired girl clapped her hands and Makoto leaned her forearm on the table, so she could look at Akira more closely. 

Never before had Akira felt so threatened by someone, and he stole from people on a monthly basis. The girls were cornering him and he could practically feel his mind throwing papers around his brain, frantically searching for escape routes. 

He gave a nervous chuckle, eyes darting from one girl to the other. He couldn’t see one of them helping him and his mind threw its hands up in defeat as if to say- _Sorry, I got nothing!_

Haru smiled slightly, her eyes boring into the boy’s soul. “Oh, such a sweetheart, see, I was right. As soon as I heard his voice over the phone, I knew he was a charmer.” 

Akira cleared his throat, not really sure how these statements correlated with each other and Futaba hummed in disapproval. 

“I don’t know about charmer. When he saw Akira in the café the day they met, he punched him, sending his eye into another dimension.” 

“Ah, but he did that because Akira broke into his home and tried to steal from him. That is a completely understandable reaction on his part.” 

Makoto perked up at that gem of information, “Wait, you got caught? Akira, what the hell were you doing?” Akira was helplessly looking from one girl to another as Futaba grinned deviously from the opposite side of the table. 

“He was searching through a bra drawer and knocked down a glass vase.” Akira looked at her with a glare that hopefully sent her the correct message- _I will skin you alive._ The meaning probably got lost in translation, as Futaba was still looking at him with the shit eating grin on her face. 

Haru’s eyes widened, while Makoto turned to glare at the boy. 

“How could you be so clumsy?” Asked Makoto in a chastising tone, while Haru was more interested in the prior part of the statement. 

“What were you doing, poking around a bra drawer?” 

Akira frantically waved his hands around, “Alright, alright, that’s enough! If you don’t stop this now, I’m leaving.” 

“Ah, sorry didn’t want to make you uncomfortable, honey,” Haru leaned back in her seat, trying to wipe off the smile that was threatening to take up her whole face, “Rather, when will you return the items you stole?” 

Makoto jumped in her seat, “You stole from Haru?” Akira sighed internally, but Futaba saved him from the torture of going on a rant and explained everything herself, while Makoto just nodded along. 

“Ah, so you wanted to make sure he is somewhat prepared before you went after harder targets?” Makoto asked, earning a nod from the cousins, “That is... actually a very smart idea, I can hardly believe you two had thought of it.” She mused and Haru closed her eyes to keep herself together. 

Akira scoffed, bumping her shoulder in mock hurt, “You give us too little credit. It’s like we didn’t get you the money for Eiko.” 

Akira and Makoto had known each other for only a little while, but in their time of hanging out, they formed a close bond that Akira learned to appreciate very much. They could talk to each other about things that only they found interesting and not get tired of each other’s company. 

Sometimes, he had a feeling they could read each other’s minds because when one of them started a sentence, the other already knew what the person was thinking of. Their quick wits mashed together beautifully, making them the strangest pair of friends if Akira didn’t count Futaba and Yusuke. 

When they first met, it was because Haru introduced them to each other. She told Akira and Futaba that her friend needed help because her other friend got into some shady business and was heavily in debt because of it. 

Akira hadn't liked the idea of giving money to a person that didn’t necessarily deserve it at first. Only when it came to light that her boyfriend was the cause of such misjudgements, he relented and helped her get the money she needed.

They stole from the same people that were threatening Eiko, and just returned the needed amount. 

To make sure the people didn’t start demanding more and more, Futaba dug up some things about their organisation, making sure the leader got thrown in jail for quite some time. 

Haru’s eyes lit up, and she excitedly slapped the table, startling Futaba sitting next to her and snapping Akira out of his thoughts. The raven glanced at her carefully, waiting for her to say what she was thinking. He learned the hard way that this expression on his friend’s face meant she had an amazing (-ly stupid) idea. 

“We should make a party when you are done with bringing back my items! Yes! That would be splendid! To officially invite Ryuji into our circle.” 

Makoto looked at her sceptically, “Circle? You sound like we’re in a cult.” 

Haru didn’t listen to her, her eyes still shining with wonder and she clapped Futaba on her shoulder, which made the younger girl wince. The girl with fluffy hair didn’t always have the best control over her strength and it showed when she got too angry or excited. Akira winced in sympathy for his cousin, remembering the last time he was a victim of one of her slaps. 

“You should message him right now, invite him and tell him he can bring his friends too! Oh, and I haven’t seen Yusuke in a while too, do you know how he is doing?” 

Akira sighed and took out his phone, knowing there was no use fighting her on this. She was on a roll, and nothing would stop her. 

**Akira:** Haru is thinking of having a welcoming party for you after we return her necklace and stuff. Said you can invite your friends too. 

Futaba scowled, “Yusuke said he had been having a bit of an artist’s block. I had gone to his dormitory to say hello, and he looks even worse than Akira after five shots of tequila,” Akira shot his scandalized look her way, but did not try to correct her, “He was just sitting there in front of his canvas for hours, staring at the blankness of it. I was kind of creeped out by the end if I’m being honest, so I just left.” 

Haru smiled as if that was the best news she had heard in a while, “Then he could use some break too, I should message him, tell him to attend,” she was already typing on her smartphone that probably cost more than Akira would on his best day. 

He sighed and Makoto shot him a questioning glance. 

“We’ll probably return you your items till the end of this week. I think in three days should be good,” he had already given in to fate, just looking at his screen dejectedly. 

“Perfect, Yusuke says he is okay with coming over too,” She pocketed her phone, smiling at the three people in front of her, each at a different stage of grief. “What about you, Makoto?” 

The girl in question shrugged, running her fingers through her hair, “I don’t know, will you be drinking?” 

“Well, if we will be up to it, sure, why not?” 

Makoto sighed, “Then yes, I can’t have you passing out all over the place,” She glanced at the ceiling, lost in thought, “Although that will give me an excuse to try out my cocktail mixing skills.” 

Futaba shot her a confused glance and Haru grinned, “Makoto here has been learning how to mix cocktails in her spare time,” she explained. 

“Why?” Was one of the many questions swirling around Akira’s head. 

Makoto shrugged, “I wanted to learn something new and it looked fairly interesting. Of course, I don’t like drinking alcohol, but it is rather calming to mix it.” 

Futaba snorted and shook her head, “You’re a special one too, ain’tcha?” 

Makoto looked like she didn’t know if she should be offended or not and decided on a pout that made her look like a three-year-old. 

“I just like learning new things.” 

“Well it’s very convenient, because we have a cocktail bar in our living room and a whole fridge dedicated just to the art of cocktail mixology,” interjected the curly haired girl and finished her beef bowl in one big gulp. 

**Ryuji:** Can I bring Ann and Shiho? 

Akira looked at the girls in front of him. They were staring at him in anticipation, waiting for Akira to relay the message. 

“He’s asking if he can bring Ann and Shiho, his friends.” 

“Of course, tell him they are very much welcome to come with him,” Haru said with a warm smile, a little of her excitement being shifted into professionalism drummed into her since birth by her parents. 

**Akira:** She said go for it. 

**Ryuji:** Awesome, can’t wait! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ I’ll tell them. 

“He said he’ll invite them,” Akira nodded and stretched his arms above his head. 

Futaba grinned. Akira could see she was already warming up to the idea of having a party. She probably wanted to relax just as much as him if not even more so, considering the way she had been working herself almost to the bone these past few days. 

He knew she didn’t like alcohol because the taste made her want to barf even before it was necessary. He could remember the first time she had tried drinking, a little more than a year ago, and how she couldn’t get what people found appealing in drinking. 

He snapped himself out of his thoughts, realizing Haru was talking again, and he had to catch up. 

“-games prepared for us to play, oh, and I will have to buy more snacks, I can hardly wait!” 

She was getting giddy again and Akira had to smile. The girl was truly a sunshine incarnate and if she couldn’t make you smile with her comments, you most probably had no soul. 

He remembered the first time they met. With one look at him, she could see he was suffering from heartbreak and knew just what to say to make him feel better. She was one of the key actors that helped him get over his ex-boyfriend, and he owed her his life for it. He could never get mad at her, just because of her bubbly personality, that didn’t let you hold a grudge for more than five seconds. 

Makoto leaned into his space and quietly whispered, trying not to smile, 

“Just let her have this for a few more minutes. She’s just ecstatic to be able to talk to you again.” 

Akira looked at her and then smiled, giving her a quick nod of his head in reply. 

Futaba interjected as if suddenly remembering something. “That reminds me, how is kitty? I haven’t seen it in so long, is he still as fluffy as I remember?” 

Akira shot her a confused glance as if to ask- _what in the world reminded you of this now?_

“Ah, Morgana is doing just fine, thank you for asking. I would say he is living like a king,” Haru chuckled, pushing a curl behind her ear. 

“I can’t wait to see him again, I want to give him his well-deserved belly rubs,” Futaba’s eyes shined with sudden enthusiasm and Akira decided he shouldn’t ruin it with reminding her that the last time she tried petting the cat, he almost poked out her eye. 

His phone chimed again and Akira quickly looked at the screen. He heard a faint snort coming from the redhead in front of him but decided not to comment on it. 

**Ryuji:** Ann says she wants to bring sweets with her, that okay? 

**Akira:** That’s super imo. Thank her in my name. 

**Ryuji:** Alright, will do. (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

Akira smiled to himself and when he looked up, he saw Makoto staring at him with a raised eyebrow and an amused expression, while Haru and Futaba were giggling among themselves. Akira narrowed his eyes and focused on Makoto, sending her a confused look. 

“What’s going on?” 

Makoto snorted and shook her head, “Oh, it’s nothing, it’s just that you checked your phone faster than Futaba runs when her favourite TV show is on.” 

Akira huffed out a breath and pocketed the phone, glaring at the trio. 

“Will you knock it off? You’re getting on my nerves.” 

Futaba sensed discomfort from her cousin and held up her hands, “Alright, we’re sorry. What did the message say?” 

Akira scratched his neck, “Ah, nothing, Ryuji was just asking if Ann can bring sweets,” he answered questioningly, and Haru nodded enthusiastically. 

“Of course she can, did you say that?” 

Akira nodded and stood up. Makoto shuffled out of the booth to let him out and Futaba was following right behind him. 

“Alright, then we’ll be going now. It was great catching up with you two again. We’ll see each other in a couple of days, right?” He let a smirk spread on his face, the right corner of his mouth a bit higher than the other. 

“Yes, I look forward to it.” Haru said and Makoto nodded. 

“Take care until then,” The brown haired girl said and Haru held up her index finger in a warning. 

“And don’t get caught. I’d rather not explain to my father why my friends were scurrying around in the middle of the night. I don’t think he would be that fond of the explanation; _They just came to say hello._ ” Her eyebrows rose up her forehead, and Akira suddenly had an urge to launch himself out of the window in an attempt to escape her pointing glare. 

Futaba grabbed him by the arms, gently leading him to the exit and shooting a wicked grin the curly-haired girl’s way. “Don't worry, we’ll be careful.” 

“You better be,” Akira heard being called behind them before they exited the restaurant, cold air hitting them in the face. The sun was already setting and Akira couldn’t believe how fast the day had gone by. He heard Futaba sigh behind him. He turned around and noticed her almost dropping the laptop from her hands. 

“So, I guess this is it. We should go home now. This just sucked all the life force out of me,” The girl scrunched up her nose and her eyes were already starting to droop. 

Akira huffed out a laugh, “I’m pretty sure it wasn’t hanging out with Makoto and Haru that made you feel tired, but the fact that you hadn’t slept for 48 hours at the least,” He said pointedly and she dismissingly waved her hand in front of his face before walking in front of him. 

“Yeah, yeah, I promise I’ll sleep once I get home.” 

“Good,” Akira nodded and hurried behind her to catch up. He leaned over and took her laptop out of her hands, carrying it all the way to Futaba’s house. 

There, he put it down, made sure Futaba showered and brushed her teeth (he could swear she was still supposed to be a toddler with the way she was avoiding the water).

He slowly tucked her into bed and bid her goodnight, the girl already quietly snoring before he walked out of the house and into the night, grabbing his keys to the café and falling into his own bed.


	13. Chapter 13

“So, here we have different types of locks,” Akira started, throwing a bag on his bed beside Ryuji. The blonde looked vaguely troubled and Akira smirked, his hands propped on his hips. 

Ryuji scratched his neck and opened the bag. He was met with a pile of locks of different shapes and sizes. _Some people have dildos, this guy has locks,_ Ryuji’s mind supplemented and the weird vision made Ryuji cringe. 

“So… which ones are which?” The blonde asked. He glanced at Akira for help and the curly haired boy cracked his knuckles before sitting down next to Ryuji, the pile of locks serving as a makeshift wall between them. 

Akira ran his hand through the locks, apparently looking for a specific one. After finding it, he placed it on the bed cover, away from the pile. He did the same with a few more, lining them up one next to another. Ryuji looked at the line. Some locks were of a square shape, some were circular but other than that, Ryuji saw no difference between them. 

“Here we have Lever Handle, Knob, Cam, Rim locks…” Akira started talking, pointing at the different locks and Ryuji was soon experiencing an information overload. The blonde scrunched up his eyebrows and tried to concentrate, but forgot every name almost a second after Akira said it. So he raised his hand to stop the raven. 

Akira glanced at him questioningly and Ryuji took a deep breath before forming his words, “Hold your horses, I already forgot everything you told me. It’s a bit hard to remember them all.” 

“I had no problems with it,” Akira smirked but schooled his features soon after. “Alright, let’s start with this,” Akira held up a lock in the middle of the row. “This is a pin and tumbler lock.” 

He held it up for Ryuji to see. It was a glass lock that made it possible for Ryuji to see the five springs in the middle. “It’s the most common type of lock in use today. So this will be the lock you will most probably run into on a day-to-day basis.” 

Ryuji nodded, taking the lock from Akira’s hand and turning it over in his palm. 

“What do you normally use to open these up? Hairpins, knives, paperclips, actual lock picks?” 

The raven ran a hand through his hair. 

“I use whatever seems like the best thing at the moment. I have all those things in my coat all the time anyway, it just depends on what I feel like using. Although what I use depends on the type of lock, too. With this lock, I normally use a hairpin,” Akira shrugged, holding up a small bag of hairpins. 

They had met up at ten pm so Akira could show Ryuji how to pick locks before they returned to the Okumura’s house. 

They fell into a small routine, where Akira slowly explained the basic characteristics of the locks and Ryuji asked questions, which Akira happily answered

Akira showed Ryuji how to pick the locks, making them snap open every time after half a minute of fiddling with it, but Ryuji wasn't so lucky. Only after half an hour was he able to clumsily open the most basic of locks.

Akira was trying to explain everything to Ryuji as simply as possible, picking the locks one after another, but Ryuji had a feeling everything Akira told him just got lost in his head and the information wouldn’t see the light of day again. So he flopped down on the bed and threw his elbow over his eyes to block out the light. 

Akira stopped talking and Ryuji could feel him shifting on the bed, laying down next to him. The locks were thrown on the bed beside them. One of them was poking Ryuji in the lower back and he grumbled before reaching under his back to place it somewhere else. 

“Too much information?” He heard the soft voice of the boy beside him. 

He grimaced, not wanting to admit he was getting a bit overwhelmed. They were going back into Haru’s residence in about four hours, he couldn’t afford to snap now. 

He lowered his arm and looked at Akira to nod in reply. The raven was looking at him and after he got the confirmation, he turned his head towards the ceiling. He nodded, tapping his fingers against the bed sheets. 

“I get it. Let’s stop for a while. Are you hungry?” He smiled at the blonde. His eyes gently raked across Ryuji’s physique. The blond grinned and propped himself on his elbows. 

“Man, food sounds great. I could kill for a pizza right now.” 

The black haired boy snorted and stood up from his bed, “Well, it’s a good thing you won’t need to. We can just order some.” 

Ryuji shrugged, “Alright, I’m paying.” 

Akira looked at the boy with a confused expression, “You don’t need to, you know that, right? I can afford it.” 

“I know, but let’s say it’s just a thank you for letting me stay over at your place."

The raven grumbled but did not try to oppose, and Ryuji had to fight down a grin. He could see them growing closer with every day they spent together. Akira had already learned when it was useless to try and fight with the blond. So he grabbed his phone and wallet. 

He called the nearest pizzeria and ordered two pizzas for them. After finishing the call, he turned around and looked at Akira. 

“They said it’ll be ready in about half an hour. What do you want to do until then?” 

They sat down in front of the TV but didn’t actually get around to turning it on, as they were too busy talking about different TV series and novels, never seeming to run out of things to converse in. 

Ryuji found out that Akira was attending a neighbouring school, which the boy told him was kmown as their rival school. Akira scrunched up his nose and leaned his head on the side. 

“Rival school? Wait, that actually exists? Isn’t that only like a movie trope? Like a modern Romeo and Juliet type of a cheesy flick?” 

Ryuji grinned, “Yeah, I don’t really know why everyone calls your school a rival school, probably just because you’re the nearest school around. But honestly, it never gets bigger than grilling you while talking with our friends.” 

Akira narrowed his eyes mockingly and lightly punched him in the shoulder. “So I guess I shouldn’t come to your school entrance and say hello after your classes end? Will I get nuggies from your classmates?” 

Ryuji smirked and leaned his weight on one side of his body, turning slightly towards Akira. They were sitting on the carpet, Akira cross-legged while Ryuji was practically sprawled all over the floor, not worried about how much space he was taking up. Akira didn’t seem to mind anyway, so Ryuji didn’t bother changing his position. 

His breath hitched when his mind was filled with images of Akira waiting for him in front of the school entrance. He couldn’t see why, but simple ideas like these sent his heart running for the hills. 

“Yeah, I guess that wouldn’t be the best idea. I should come to your school gate, instead. If you hadn’t heard of this rivalry up until now, then I guess your school doesn’t care about stuff like this.” 

Akira shrugged, “Or, we just don’t feel threatened, because you’re below us.” 

Ryuji gasped and clutched his heart in mock hurt, “You wound me! We have the best track _and_ volleyball team around!” 

“So that’s why you’re so academically challenged. Using up all your cells for legs and not brain, huh?” 

“Oh, you know full well that the stupid jock cliché doesn’t hold up.” 

Akira shrugged, his eyes revealing a challenged amusement. “I just judge by what I see.” 

Ryuji tried to think of a good comeback. He really did. But because his brain didn’t offer any, he turned to his legs to deal with the situation. He lightly kicked Akira between the ribs and the assaulted boy only laughed, which lured a small smile to the blond’s lips. 

The bell rung and the boys quickly stood up, almost tumbling down the stairs. Ryuji paid for the pizza and soon they were back in their previous positions, sitting down in the middle of the room, with pizza between their legs, gulping down the food like the only thing they had to eat for the past week was grass. 

Ryuji squirted some ketchup on his pizza and Akira looked personally offended by this. “Why? You know, Garfield was the first one that said that when you put ketchup on something, the food only tastes like ketchup from then on.” He said, furrowing his eyebrows and looking at Ryuji with a troubled expression. 

Ryuji snorted and kept pouring ketchup on the poor slice of pizza. “Whatever, you snob. Doesn’t like ketchup.” He muttered under his breath and Akira huffed out a laugh.

The clock slowly ticked on and Akira’s phone started ringing. He stood up and walked towards it, his mouth still full of filled crust. 

“It’s Futaba,” He mumbled and pressed a button on his screen. “Hellooo?” He mumbled with his mouth full of pizza and quickly leaned his head away from the speaker. Ryuji could hear faint yelling coming from the phone, and he could only guess Futaba was yelling at the raven for something or other. 

“Yes. Yeah. Pizza. I’m sorry. Yeah. Alright,” he said and broke off the call. Ryuji looked at him questioningly and Akira gulped down the food. 

“She says she’s coming over. She also yelled something about me being a horrible human being for not telling her we’re having pizza and I’m guessing she’s going to want some. So if you want to save its life, I advise you to either hide it or eat it as fast as possible, because when she comes over, you know that last slice is as good as gone.” 

In a few moments, they heard the stomping sounds getting closer up the stairs, and Futaba showed up at the top of them, leaning on the railing and breathing heavily. She was holding her laptop in her hands and was trying not to drop it. 

Akira raised his eyebrows at the redhead, “Wow, if I hadn’t known beforehand it would be you coming up the stairs, I’d be calling the hunting organization about a bear in my house by now.” 

“Give me... some!” Futaba gasped and Ryuji snorted, holding up the last piece for Futaba to take.

Akira shook his head and looked at the blonde with a dissapointed stare. "You're too nice, Ryuji. The world will tear you apart."

The other boy just grinned in reply and let Futaba yank the piece of pizza from him.

"Oh. That's a lot of ketchup," the girl looked dejectedly at the piece, before shrugging and biting into it nonetheless.

She sat down next to him, practically throwing her laptop on the floor beside her in the process and started nibbling on the bread. 

“Hi to you too, Futaba, how’s it going?” the blonde asked with a smirk stretching over his face. 

In the two weeks of knowing each other, the girl had wormed her way into his heart, and now every time they were talking, he felt fondness for her bloom in his heart.

Her sassy and humorous remarks but the focused and hyper-aware side were making her a one of a kind. He himself knew he wouldn't be able to withstand the pressure of leading people through heists like she had. 

“I come with new information. Or rather, I came for the food, but brought news as a gift.” 

Akira perked up at that and slowly sat down next to Futaba, opening up her laptop. The girl swatted his hand away, turning the screen towards herself and Ryuji snickered when he saw the offended look Akira threw her way. 

“Don’t touch. Yes, I brought information on Watanabe.” 

Ryuji scrunched up his eyebrows and looked at Akira for an explanation. Akira did say in the message that he had a criminal in mind but did not comment on it further and Ryuji didn’t push him. 

Akira said they would talk about it after returning the items to Haru, and the blond silently thought that to be a good idea, as he was pretty sure his nerves would give out under the pressure if there was too much information dumped on him before completing one mission first. 

The raven looked down to his feet and shifted his weight. Futaba saw the change in his posture and inclined her head, before looking back at her computer screen and snorting out a laugh. 

“You haven’t told him yet? Although I was expecting this, to be honest.” 

Akira scowled, “Well, we said we’d talk about it after giving the stuff back.” 

“Well, we’re all here now, might as well start,” Futaba shrugged her shoulders, still scrolling through a feed projected on her computer. 

Now, Ryuji was even more confused, “What didn’t you tell me? Is it about our next heist?” 

Akira sighed, “Yeah, it is,” And explained the idea he thought of the previous day. 

Ryuji listened to him closely and was surprised at how level-headed he was being. The cousins were completing each other's sentences, picturing the plan that included Ryuji as a cook in the criminal’s lair. 

He nodded after they finished explaining. Honestly, he found it to be a genius idea. He couldn’t see anyone else completing the role as well as he could because of his cooking skills. He could pretend to be someone else for two or three weeks, too, no problem. 

“So you need me to work under him and get information. Yeah, I can do that.” He was getting excited now. 

He was honoured deep down, that Akira thought him good enough for this job, even the part where he deemed him a swell cook. He grinned, “This’ll be awesome!” 

Akira sighed and lowered his head, shutting his eyes. “See, this is what I was worried about.” He muttered under his breath and Ryuji almost missed the sentence. 

He guessed it was meant for Futaba, but he and the redhead were sitting so close together that you couldn’t say a word to one and not have the other one hear it too. His gut clenched and he let his head drop to one side. 

“What were you worried about?” He inquired and Futaba shook her head. 

“He’s just worried because he doesn’t want to send you into a dangerous territory for such a long time.” 

Ryuji’s core warmed at the sentence and he glued his eyes to the raven that was now glaring at the redhead beside him. 

“Oh. Well, don’t worry, I can make it,” He said and grinned at the boy. 

Futaba huffed out a breath, “You’ll still talk to us on a daily basis, about what you found out. I’ll have to borrow your phone to upload some apps that will help me find you if anything happens. You will have both of us on a fast dial, and I’ll have you plant some bugs around the house so I’ll be able to listen in.” 

Ryuji got swarmed with all these precautions and his eyes bulged out, “Hey, is all this necessary?” 

Futaba looked at him over the rim of her glasses and nodded solemnly, “Yes, yes it is. And I won’t have you complaining. Now for the next part,” she typed a row of words into her computer and Ryuji’s picture popped up. 

Ryuji drew his brows together and looked at the redhead on his right, “What is this?” 

“Say hello to Riku Hasegawa. A twenty-year-old cooking apprentice from the elite Sekiguchi Culinary School. He wants to learn from the best, and as such, decided to study under the head chef of Watanabe’s household. Because of his high scores on all the examinations, the chef gladly accepted his request and is eager to teach the boy his ways,” she lifted her chin and Ryuji saw a proud glint shining in her eyes. 

The blond’s jaw gave way and he stared at himself with it hanging open, reading the bio written under it. 

“You are a genius, Futaba, how did you manage to do this?” He was still staring at the screen and the girl cackled, before turning the screen towards Akira so he could check out the bio writtent under Ryuji's picture. 

“This is nothing for me, I can break into the security government files with my left hand, and this is what you are amazed by? Gee, I gotta step up my game if your expectations for me are this low,” She hummed, scratched her chin and turned the screen back towards herself while Akira was still reading. He looked vaguely insulted that she stopped him from reading, but decided not to comment on it. 

“I also falsified some magazine articles, praising your intellect and fast learning abilities. You also skipped a year,” Ryuji was still looking at her like she was his new God, but the girl paid it no mind. “You should memorise your bio before you go in. This is your Bible from today on because you will be living this life from the day you step foot into that house.” 

Ryuji sobered up and nodded, scrolling through the articles that Futaba faked and posted on different culinary sites. Akira used this time to make himself comfortable on Futaba’s right and continued reading. 

“I’ll still be going home to my house right? I won’t be actually living there?” 

Akira scowled, “You might as well be. You’ll probably work there from dawn to dusk. Or, from dawn to two in the afternoon, and from two in the afternoon to dusk. You will need to learn how to cook breakfast, lunch, dinner, everything.” 

Ryuji grimaced, “so I won’t have much free time? How far away is this house anyway?” 

“An hour away,” Futaba proclaimed, rocking on the heels of her feet. 

Ryuji cringed, “So I will most probably be waking up around five in the morning, if not sooner?” He whistled, “I mean, I’m an early bird, but not _that_ early,” He muttered to himself. 

Akira scratched his neck and turned the laptop toward himself, “Well, you’ll have to cope, because there is no way we are renting you an apartment with your mom coming home next week.” 

Ryuji winced, “Shoot, you’re right, I completely forgot about that. Yeah, she would definitely freak if I just disappeared on her for three weeks.” 

“Well, I think we should at least get you out of work when school starts up again. Since it’s the second week of August already, we better hurry.” 

Ryuji stood up to stretch his limbs. Akira sent him a quick glance before he started looking at the computer screen, occasionally typing on the keyboard. 

Futaba lay down on her stomach, “So… you think we should send Ryuji in on the 18th? He has a week to learn everything he needs to about his job, tell his mom that he started working to get some money, and, badabing, badaboom, he’s in.” 

Akira ran his tongue over his teeth and Ryuji caught himself staring, so he focused on Futaba while the raven talked. 

“That would probably be best,” he clapped his hands and looked at the standing boy in front. “Alright, then it’s settled. Oh, and, we’ll need you to get us up to speed with everything at least verey other day since Futaba won’t be able to listen in on your conversations. Make sure to make a lot of friends. Or, acquaintances if I’m exact. Try and find out as much as you can.” 

Ryuji nodded and Futaba grinned, turning on her back and laying like a starfish. The blond sent her an amused glance, but the girl wasn’t paying attention, murmuring a nursery rhyme under her breath. 

“You think they’re all in on it?” Ryuji asked the raven-haired boy and got a shrug in reply. 

“No, in my opinion, they’re not, it wouldn’t be possible to keep such secrets under wraps if the whole household knew about them. I reckon only the higher-ups know what’s going on, but I would still be careful.” 

Ryuji blinked and sidestepped, looking through the window, “Alright, I can do that. Choose your friends wisely, huh?” 

Futaba hummed and stood up to walk over to Ryuji. She clasped his shoulder and squeezed it gently before speaking, “You got this, you’ll see.” 

She grinned and Ryuji smiled in reply, feeling a warmth spread through his body. For the short amount of time he knew the pair, he was strangely reliant on them. 

He didn’t really like the concept of putting his trust in other people, but Akira and Futaba lured the loyalty reserved only for Ann and his mother out in the open. Strangely, he wasn’t scared of it as much as he thought he should be. 

“I know. You can count on me. Alright, so how much time before we go to the Okumura’s?” 

Akira looked at the clock and bit his lip. “It’s almost eight pm already. Do you think we should have a quick nap before going in?” 

“Now, you’re talking my language,” the blond grinned and flopped down on the couch. Futaba turned on her heels and picked up the computer. 

“No can do, I gotta be prepared. You guys go on ahead, I’ll go home and take care of some things.” 

“Alright, we’ll hear from you at three in the morning, sharp,” Akira nodded and watched her descend before walking to his bed and laying down. 

They lay like that for a while before Ryuji turned on the couch and looked over at the raven. 

“I don’t think I’ll be able to fall asleep. It’s almost midnight, but I’m feeling way too jittery. Kind of like the first time I had gotten drunk. Although, it had only been eight o’clock in the evening then. 

Akira snorted and turned to stare back, not putting down his glasses that were now getting scrunched on his face. “You were drunk before eight pm? What were you drinking? And thinking?” 

“Hey, it’s not my fault the government decided to turn the clock back an hour. Otherwise, it would’ve been nine pm.” 

“Still, that’s only an hour of difference. You do know you’re supposed to _start_ drinking at nine, not already _be_ drunk by then, right?” 

Ryuji didn’t know what to say to that, so he satisfied himself with a scowl, “Time is a social construct anyway,” 

Akira barked out an incredulous laugh and looked up at the ceiling. “You’re right, get drunk whenever you want to, who am I to talk.” 

Strangely, Ryuji was finding their conversation pretty funny and he started laughing. Akira looked at him like he was crazy, before joining in. They laughed, sounds mingling together and mirth bouncing off the thin walls. 

When Ryuji was finally able to calm down, he was breathing hard and he swiped his finger under his eye, collecting a small tear. 

“I haven’t laughed to tears in ages,” He whispered in confusion and Akira sat on his bed, looking at the blond with a sideways glance. 

“Didn’t take you for a happy crier,” He said jokingly and stood up. “I’ll have to go take a shower. You can, too, if that helps you fall asleep. It helps me.” 

Ryuji saluted him but didn’t move from his spot, lying on the side and watching at the bookcase opposite of him. 

_____

Ryuji awoke with a start when the alarm blared next to his ear. 

One second, he was trying to get his bearings, and in the other, he was looking at a startled Akira, falling from his bed. 

Ryuji snorted and drowsily walked over to the groaning mess of a boy in front of the bed. He stretched out his hand for the raven to take and Akira slowly stood up, leaning on the offered arm. 

“It baffles me how you can work so well under pressure,” the blonde said, desperately hiding a smile. 

Akira looked at him darkly, pouting his lips. 

“Believe it or not, I too, sometimes get surprised.” 

“Surprised, yes, but scared shitless?” 

Akira pointed his finger at the blond’s chest. “I do not get scared shitless,” He mimicked Ryuji’s tone of voice, his dishevelled hair sticking in all directions. Ryuji had to stop himself from trying to run his hands through the messy curls. “Now, if you don’t want to lose your dick, you will shut your pie hole.” 

Ryuji would be surprised by the other’s choice of words if not for the faint blush creeping up Akira's neck. He must’ve been pretty embarrassed, so Ryuji let it go. He jokingly poked Akira in the ribs before turning around, putting a slight sway to his hips in mockery. 

“No worries, your secret’s safe with me.” 

The raven let out an almost indistinguishable sound from the back of his throat that Ryuji read as annoyance. 

“Whatever, let’s go,” Akira grumbled and put on his cloak, while Ryuji crunched up his ski mask in his fist. 

Akira gestured towards the earpieces on his table and they both put them in, cringing at the ringing in their ears when they turned them on. 

The raven hissed, subconsciously turning away from the sound. “Futaba, you there?” 

The ringing stopped and was turned into a sound of shuffling, probably Futaba making herself comfortable in her seat. 

“Oh, hey sleeping beauties, how are you on this fair night?” 

Akira grumbled, “We’re fine. We’re going to Haru’s now, keep us posted.” 

Ryuji heard a hum from the other end of the line and they both walked outside, sat on their bicycles and started for the Okumura residence. 

When they got there, it was around half past three in the morning and the boys were breathing as if they just ran a marathon. 

“Alriiight boys, you know what to do, we already went through all this, just make sure no one sees you. There are two guards outside today and two inside. The coast is clear for now, just don’t trip and fall. Now go, you know the drill.” 

Ryuji noticed the more upbeat way in which Futaba was speaking. It most probably had to do with him not being on his first heist and already knowing what to expect. They swiftly hauled themselves over the fence and skirted towards the side entrance. 

Everything they did was exactly the same. When they were cycling, Akira had been thinking of switching their roles, so Ryuji would go upstairs and return the bracelet, USB key and the sheets of paper, but thought better of it. 

“It would be a good exercise, me telling you where to go and you trying to follow as best as possible, but I guess it’s kinda stupid, trying to complicate things this far in the whole mission,” the boy mused more to himself than to Ryuji. The blond found it endearing, how Akira got a glazed look over his eyes every time he was thinking carefully. 

So they completed the mission without jinxes, Although Ryuji panicked a bit when he couldn’t place the necklace between two bars of soap, as one of them was missing. 

“Just put it as it was, try to change as little as possible, you can’t help it if the soaps aren’t there anymore,” Ryuji heard Akira say quietly after informing the other two he had broken into Mr Okumura’s office. 

Ryuji placed the necklace where he found it the first time, making sure the swan-shaped diamond was facing him. He stopped at the door and Futaba informed him one of the guards was in the control room, watching a football match, while the other was still patrolling the upper part of the circular area. 

He dashed through the door and quickly turned towards the living room, instincts kicking in and making him creep the last few paces before opening and sliding through the entrance. 

“I’m in the living room.” Futaba hummed in approval and he took the time to take three deep breaths before walking to the windows. 

“Wh- Shit!” Akira cursed on the other end and Ryuji straightened his posture instantaneously, listening for anything else. 

“Haru, what are you- just- no, go back to sleep. We can’t have you ruining this. Yeah. Yeah, I guess we did fail,” Ryuji drew his eyebrows together. Akira sounded more annoyed with the whole situation than troubled. 

“Yeah, he is. Okay, I will. Go back to sleep now. Okay. Love you too.” He heard Akira coo jokingly and the blond rolled his eyes while looking through the windows. 

“Did Haru wake up?” Futaba asked, with a reprimanding voice. 

Akira hummed in reply. “Yeah. Nothing we can do about it now, just secure the escape route. How’re things on your end, Ryuji?” 

“I don’t see any guards. Futaba, is it safe? Also, switch off the alarms on the windows.” 

“They’re both just taking a stroll around the house, so you should be fine for another five minutes. Akira, you should hurry downstairs. The alarms are off,” She announced and Ryuji nodded, opening the window and quickly jumping outside. 

He expected a shock of pain to blare through his leg and was glad when he only sensed a faint throb. _The knee healed nicely._

He scampered towards the bushes and waited for Akira, who was following him not soon after. 

He hid next to Ryuji and looked around for any threats, before looking at the blond, his grey eyes sparkling in the night. 

“Haru says hi,” he whispered and started running towards the gates, leaving Ryuji to look at his back with a confused expression and even more confused mind. 

“Thanks, I guess?” He grumbled, making Futaba snicker. He forgot both of them could hear him through the earpiece. 

A few minutes later, they were leaning on the wall of some building on the corner of the street, letting adrenalin course through them. 

“We could call this a mission complete,” Futaba yawned into their ears. “Now excuse me, while I go sleep.” And with that, they heard the faint crack of transmission being cut and silence filled the air. 

Akira sighed, taking out his earpiece. His phone chimed at the same moment and he pulled it out, the screen blinding him. 

“Oh, Jesus, my eyes!” He turned the brightness down quickly and hummed, “It’s Haru. She says to tell you that tomorrow we’ll be having the welcoming party at her place, since we successfully returned back her stuff.” 

Ryuji nodded, tapping the toes of his shoes on the sidewalk. “Alright, works for me. Around what time?” 

The raven shrugged, “Come by at around five pm, I guess.” 

“Okay. Then I’ll see you tomorrow?” 

Akira grinned, “Yeah, that works.” 

“Okay, bye, then.” 

“Bye,” Ryuji was just about to turn around and walk to his bike when Akira shot his hand forward and caught Ryuji’s jacket sleeve between his fingers. 

“Hey, thanks. You know, for helping. You probably wouldn’t believe me, but I do feel a lot safer when I do this with you.” He looked at the toes of his shoes and Ryuji felt his heart beat against his ribcage. 

“Hey, no worries, I’m happy to help,” He saw Akira’s eyes flicker down to his lips, but before he could process the situation, the moment was gone and he was left feeling cold after Akira’s fingers left his sleeve. The raven turned his back on the boy and Ryuji could see a long breath leave Akira’s body. 

“Alright. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“Right. Until then,” Ryuji pursed his lips. For the sake of his sanity, he decided to grin at the other boy, taking his bike and turning around on the sidewalk. 

He closed his eyes for a few seconds, letting his other senses take over. He smelt the faint smell of motor oil from the gas station nearby, felt the cold breeze hit his cheeks, and heard the busy traffic from the main road. 

He mounted his bicycle and sped towards his house, glancing over his shoulder to see Akira do the same. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovelies!  
> So... school, huh? I gotta admit, not the biggest fan.  
> Tell me what you think, I love reading your comments!  
> I hope you're having a good day,  
> Potato, out!


	14. Chapter 14

”Ow, Jesus Christ, Makoto, watch where you’re going!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t remember being responsible for you running into doors.”

Akira glared at her from the other side of the ping pong table. They were trying to move it from the gym towards the living room, and it was not going well. They had to make sure not to bump its edges, which was surprisingly hard in such a spacious house. 

“You just have to move a bit to the right and I won’t bump into things,” Akira said and huffed out a breath. He turned the table more to the left, Makoto stepping to the right and they wheeled it through one more hallway. 

The wheels of the table were squeaking with each turn and when they had to get it down the stairs, it was the first time Akira had ever heard the other girl swear like a sailor.

“I don’t get why we even need it,” she grumbled, pulling the table behind her and almost tripping in the process. “It’s not like Haru doesn’t have enough space to put food on elsewhere.”

Akira cracked a smile, turning a corner and wincing when his shoulder came in contact with the edge of the wall. He was pretty sure his arm would be bruised in the morning.

“I think she was saying something about beer pong?”

Makoto scowled, ”I don’t even know why she likes that game so much,” Akira shrugged and they stopped so Makoto could open the doors to the living room. 

While she held the door open, Akira pushed the table inside, letting out a string of curses when the wheels ran under the carpet.

“Great. Just perfect. Haru, do you _need_ this freaking carpet in the middle of the room?” He backed up the table for an inch and Makoto grabbed its edge, slightly lifting the wheels and getting it on the carpet.

“Ah, thank you loves, I was beginning to wonder what was taking you so long,” Haru walked up to them, helping Makoto pull the table.

”What was taking us so long? We had to get down a whole set of stairs!” Makoto said incredulously and Haru giggled, before pulling the lever and lowering the table. 

Futaba skipped towards them, a whole bucket of ice cream in her hands, eating directly from the tub with a spoon. Akira was vaguely worried about her sugar intake, before snatching the spoon from her hands and taking some of the ice cream. 

The redhead looked at him with an angry expression, lightly punching his shoulder. The punch shouldn’t have hurt, but because it was already bruised from the previous run-in with the wall, it made Akira wince.

“Ow, I collided with a wall there,” he returned her spoon and gently brushed his fingers over the sore spot. 

Futaba scoffed, walking towards the girls, “You’ll live.”

Akira would’ve felt insulted by her complete disregard for his well-being, but his attention snapped to the countless bowls of food on the counter, mixed with different types of beverages, ranging from plain old water to the most obscure alcohol bottles Akira has ever seen in his life.

“Whoa, that’s a lot of… you do know we’re not gonna drink half of what you have here, right?” He carefully turned towards the curly haired girl, fearing the answer the question might bring.

Haru waved her hand, leaning onto Makoto’s side with a tired expression.

“I know, it’s just that Makoto needs all these things to make her cocktails. I bought ingredients for even the most unusual of drinks.”

Makoto smiled, nodding her head, “Thank you, that sounds perfect, I might even try and concoct something of my own accord,” Akira looked at Haru with an alarmed expression, but the girl just gave him a chastising look and smiled at the brown haired girl.

“I’m sure it will be lovely,” she said and Futaba snorted. Akira would have felt empowered by the fact that he wasn’t the only one doubting Makoto’s mixing abilities, but Futaba wouldn’t be drinking anyway, so it didn’t really help his cause.

He walked towards the TV screen, and pressed play on the music icon. He shuffled through different tracks and found Mumford & Sons. He smiled to himself and left it there.

Futaba groaned when she heard the track, “I've heard this one a million times already Akira, it’s like you don’t have anything else you like listening to!”

The black haired boy looked at her with a blank stare. “I don’t. Now, what’s the time? They should be here soon.” He scratched his neck and looked at the clock. It was half-past six, and he was getting jittery. 

He and Futaba came to Haru’s house at around five in the afternoon to help her prepare everything for today and he was getting gradually more excited. Although he saw Ryuji just the other day, he couldn’t wait to see him again, and he was excited to talk to Ann again, too.

“They won’t be here for another half an hour, honey. You can prepare some things if that makes it easier for you to pass the time.” Haru collected the plastic cups and dumped them on the counter. 

Akira groaned, but moved towards the table, collecting some food and putting it in the cupboard. He looked at the girls pointedly and closed the doors. “We don’t need that much food right away. We should also save the alcohol for later in the night. I heard Ryuji has a tendency to get drunk before nine in the evening.”

He muttered under his breath and placed some beers in the refrigerator.

Makoto stepped to the counter and started placing the different coloured liquids in order of the rainbow. Futaba sat down in front of the bar and looked at the girl, mesmerised by the shifting of lights in the bottles. 

The redhead was dressed quite comfortably, with a red cardigan draped over her thin shoulders, her headphones resting around her neck. Akira hadn’t seen this pair of headphones before, so he guessed she must’ve ordered them online not long ago. 

The cardigan covered her body to the middle of her thighs, and to keep her legs warm she had on black thighs and a pair of thick white socks with black dots. 

Makoto, on the other hand, was dressed as if she was going to school in the morning. She had a white cotton shirt on, paired with a black and red chequered skirt. Akira had a feeling the colours wouldn’t look good on anyone else but her, with how her eyes matched the red of the skirt.

Haru stepped towards the couch and turned the pillows around. She carefully looked at the place and started to push the couch more towards the middle of the room, the back of it turned towards the cocktail counter.

She huffed out a breath from the strain and blew one of the curls in front of her eyes out of the way. She looked at Akira with an annoyed expression.

“Would you be a dear and help me?” She asked with a strain in her voice and Akira jumped to her aid. They moved the couch and Haru propped her hands on her hips, looking rather proud of herself.

“Why did you need to do that anyway?” He asked with furrowed brows and Haru stretched her arms above her head, her pink cardigan riding up her stomach and revealing a white shirt underneath. The girl was wearing simple white sweatpants with blue bubbles covering the ends of them.” 

“I want us to have more space in front of the TV. I was thinking of bringing Twister from my room, what do you think?” She asked with a smile and leaned her head to the side.

Futaba clapped her hands excitedly, turning around on her bar stool. “Ooo, I haven’t played Twister in a long time! That sounds perfect!” Haru smiled and jogged out of the room to get the game.

Akira grinned an pointed his index finger at her.

“I will crush you.” 

Futaba scoffed, “Yeah, when you inevitably fail in keeping yourself off the ground and fall to your demise.”

The black haired boy shrugged his shoulders, “Might as well bring you down with me while I’m at it, right?”

Makoto snickered, almost spilling some of the water she poured herself. “Does anyone want a drink? I have the monopoly over them tonight,” She grinned and Futaba raised her hand. 

“Orange juice, please,” Makoto smiled and nodded, pouring her a glass.

Akira felt something at his feet and when he looked down, he saw Morgana rubbing against his legs. The cat meowed, jumping on the stool next to Futaba. The redhead squealed.

“Mona, I haven’t seen you in such a long time!” She pat its head, not very gently. The cat retaliated by moving its head out of the way and meowing in protest. It jumped on the counter to avoid the girl’s grabby hands and Akira grimaced in sympathy for the cat. 

There was a loud crash heard when the door swung open wildly, Haru standing in the middle, holding it open with her left leg.

“I found… these games… in my room. Do you think they’ll be okay?” She walked to the couch and threw the boxes on the pillows. Akira raised his eyebrows.

“I- yeah, I think this will be plenty.”

Haru suddenly perked up, looking at the clock like Akira was not long ago.

“Oh, we should probably call Yusuke and remind him of the party right? He probably forgot about it.” She fished her phone out of her pocket and dialled Yusuke’s number.

“Hi honey, I’m calling to remind you of the party.” She said into the phone and cracked a small smile. “Today. In fifteen minutes. Again?” She closed her eyes and sighed. “I can pay you for the ride back. Yes. Alright, I’ll see you soon, I love you.”

She lowered her phone and looked at the trio looking at her expectantly.

“As I thought, he forgot about the party. He does have enough money for the train to my house. The bad news is, he doesn’t have enough for the ride back.” She sighed, and pocketed her phone. “He said he’ll be here in about half an hour. “

Akira nodded and his train of thought was interrupted by a doorbell ringing. Haru excitedly clapped her hands together, smiling from ear to ear.

“That must be our guests, I can’t wait to meet the newest heartthrob of the group!” She skipped out of the room and Akira scratched his neck, unsure of what to do. He sat down on the couch next to the games. 

Makoto furrowed her eyebrows together. “Newest heartthrob? Who was the last one?”

“You,” said Futaba and Akira at the same time, which made her even more confused.

“Me? How was I ever a heartthrob?” She asked disbelievingly.

Akira heard faint footsteps coming from the other end of the door and they were soon opened up, a familiar blond striding in like he owned the place. Akira felt the corners of his lips pulling up of their own accord, and he sent a small wave the boy’s way.

Ryuji grinned when he saw him, but stopped in his tracks when he noticed Futaba and Makoto. He sat down next to the redhead, and smiled over his shoulder.

Akira’s mouth went dry. Ryuji was wearing a light blue T-shirt with a white design of a crown on it, but what sent Akira’s blood towards the southern areas of his body were the blond’s black jeans. They hung low on his hips, and were ripped on the side of his left thigh, as well as on the knee. Akira has never seen someone look this good in such typical clothing.

“Hey, it’s great to see you again, I can’t believe it’s only been a day,” He laughed and Akira nodded, slowly standing up and walking to Makoto’s side. The blond punched Futaba lightly in the shoulder, saying hi to her before extending his arm for Makoto to shake. The brown haired girl smiled and took his hand.

“Hello, I’m Makoto, I heard a lot of great things about you.”

Ryuji grinned, “I’m guessing from Akira? I hope he didn’t try and embarrass me.” He sent a disarming smile Makoto’s way and Akira felt his eye twitch involuntarily. _Those smiles are the most hazardous thing I’ve ever seen._

Makoto threw back her head and laughed. “No, it was actually Haru. She talked about you with such strong emotions I thought she had already met you.”

Ryuji’s mouth made an o shape before he schooled his features and smiled lightly.

“Ah, she hugged me like she knew me from more than just a phone call, too. She seems like an amazing person.”

Makoto nodded and was ready to reply, when they were interrupted by a shuffling sound coming from the door. Akira shot his gaze towards it. He saw Ann and who he guessed was Shiho in the doorway.

Ann had her hair tied back in two ponytails, wearing a simple jacket and black skinny jeans.

The girl next to her had black hair, tied in one single ponytail. She wore a white turtleneck and a black skirt, with white tights. She was pretty, and Akira could tell she felt slightly out of place in the room. He knew the feeling and decided to walk towards them to lower the tension.

“Hi, long time no see,” He smiled at Ann and offered the black haired girl his hand.

“I’m Akira, Ryuji’s new friend.”

The raven-haired girl smiled tentatively and took his hand, “Nice to meet you, I’m Shiho.”

Akira smiled widely, trying to make the girl feel as comfortable as possible. He sensed she wasn’t the loudest of girls.

Ann draped her arm over Shiho’s shoulder, and smiled at Akira. “Don’t mind her, she just has to get accustomed to a new environment,” She lightly pecked the dark haired girl’s cheek and Shiho blushed, lightly swatting Ann’s arm away. The blonde laughed and took Shiho’s hand in hers. Then she regarded Akira with a stern look, but her eyes were smiling.

“I hope you’re keeping Ryuji safe?”

Akira bowed, “I remember every threat you uttered if I didn’t,” He said and Ryuji used this moment to appear out of thin air behind Akira, making him jump.

“Who threatened you?” He asked and then quickly turned towards Ann. “You threatened him?” He asked with a slightly dissaproving look.

Ann smirked and raised one eyebrow in reply, “Not more than you already know,” She answered and turned her gaze back to Akira. 

The boy noticed she was drawing small circles on the back of Shiho’s hand and he felt respect for the blonde flood his heart, for making the other girl more relaxed with such small acts. 

“I believe we haven’t met all of your friends yet, would you care to introduce us?” 

Akira nodded and led them towards the cocktail counter, where Haru and Makoto were conversing, while Futaba was just idly annoying the cat. 

He introduced them to the trio and Haru enveloped both of them in a warm hug, which later Ann told Akira took place at the front entrance, too. 

Makoto smiled at them and Akira got a feeling she and Shiho will get along nicely. The brown haired girl had a way of making everybody feel welcomed without overwhelming them, and it had come in handy many times before. 

“Hello, I’m Makoto, and this is Futaba. The cat she is maltreating is named Morgana." She glanced in the redhead's direction. "Would you like a drink? I’m mostly here today to make sure none of these idiots need to go to a hospital for a gastric lavage. I’ll also mix cocktails,” She smiled and took one of the fancier glasses shaped like a saucer and started pouring clear liquid in it. 

Ann let out a sound of awe and stepped behind the counter to stand next to Makoto, while Shiho seated herself opposite of the short haired girl. Akira stepped over to stand next to her. 

“Whoa, you can mix cocktails? That’s so awesome, I always wanted to learn how to do that!” 

Shiho giggled, looking at the blonde fondly, “You say you want to learn every time we go out, but never try to.” 

Ann jokingly pouted at the girl and turned towards Makoto. 

The brown haired girl raised her eyebrow and looked at the pair, “Would you like me to prepare something for you?”

“Sure, I’d like some, give me a starter one," said Ann and Makoto nodded, looking at Shiho to await her answer. 

Shiho shifted in her seat, “Uhm, nothing for me, I don’t drink. But thank you.” 

Makoto smiled and shook her head, “No problem, don’t feel pressured to drink. Futaba and I won’t drink either, and it’d be great if you’d join us in making sure these don’t run off somewhere unsupervised.” She looked at her with warm eyes and Akira felt Shiho’s tense shoulders slump against his side. “I can get you orange juice, water, coke, bubbly water, anything else.” 

Shiho turned her head to the side in thought, “Okay, then I’d like a glass of water, please.” Makoto nodded and turned towards the fridge. 

Akira used this moment to look away from the group and noticed Ryuji and Haru sitting on the sofa. They were laughing, and Akira caught some words that he didn’t know how connected to each other, but he guessed Ryuji was making Haru laugh, and he smiled to himself. 

The fact that the two got along so well didn’t surprise him, they were both the most accepting people he knew, and Haru’s warm demeanour got her many friends, while Ryuji’s feisty personality knew how to have a good time. 

He turned towards Makoto. “We should all get some cocktails when Yusuke comes, do you think you can prepare some to drink?” 

Makoto nodded slowly, putting mint leaves into Ann’s glass. “Sure, just tell me what you’d all like, I’ll mix something for you.” 

Futaba shook her head, “Wait, Yusuke probably hasn’t eaten in days. I’ll have to fatten him up before he drinks anything. Also, he likes fruity stuff with as little alcohol as possible.” 

Akira yawned, “I’ll have a Blow Job, please,” He saw Ann almost choking on the water she poured for herself, and when he turned around, he saw Ryuji and Haru looking at him with a confused expression. _Oh. Yeah, that probably didn't sound that good. Oops._

Haru’s eyes widened and she giggled. 

“Ooh, you meant the cocktail,” She started laughing, wiping the tears from her eyes, “that sounded so weird out of context.” 

Ryuji’s mouth made an o shape and a second later he was grinning alongside Haru. 

“That was a pretty poor choice of words, man,” The blond laughed, but Akira remained stoic as his mind formed an idea. _Huh. Let’s see._

“I said it just as I meant to,” He said, stare unwavering from the blond’s chocolate eyes. “Do you want one too?” his expression was as serious as it’s ever been, but in his mind, he was screaming at the top of his lungs. 

Ryuji returned his gaze and Akira didn’t miss the way his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He bit on his tongue to keep his satisfied grin at bay.

A moment later, Ryuji raised his eyebrow in a silent challenge and Akira’s heart forgot to pump blood for a second, so it had to compensate by speeding up the process for the next couple of seconds, which made it difficult for Akira do breathe normally. _Abort mission. I repeat, abort mission._

“Sure, I’d love to. Just make it a good one,” Ryuji smirked and crossed his arms in front of him, breaking their eye contact slowly to look at Makoto standing behind him. 

That pulled the raven out of his stupor. Time started flowing normally again. Ann and Shiho were looking at each other from the opposite ends of the bar, having a silent conversation. 

Haru looked like she was desperately trying to hold off a giggle and even Futaba stopped picking on poor Morgana to look at Akira. She slid down from her seat carefully and walked past him, whispering in his ear while grabbing a fistful of gummy bears. 

“You got your ass handed to you, there, buddy,” She popped one gummy bear in her mouth and sat back down on her chair, her eyes meaningfully glued to the raven's. 

Makoto just finished making a mojito for Ann and the blonde excitedly clapped her hands. She took one sip from the straw and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. 

“Ohh, Makoto, this is so good, even better than some in cocktail bars! How did you learn to do that?” And just like that, tension dissipated from the air, only leaving a bittersweet taste of defeat in Akira’s mouth. 

Makoto smiled and picked up two shot glasses. “I can teach you the basics today, if you feel like it,” She said, “I rather enjoy mixing alcohol because I can relax. It’s probably like running for some people.” 

Ann nodded excitedly, and sipped from her straw, looking at Makoto whipping out the Irish cream liqueur and pouring it into the glasses. The girl tapped her index finger on her chin. 

“Haru, do you have whipped cream? I don’t think I saw it in the fridge.” 

The curly haired girl stood up and Ryuji followed after her, leaning on the counter next to Akira, which sent the raven into a silent frenzy, but his exterior didn’t let that show. 

“It should be at the back…” Haru walked to the fridge and started rummaging around. “Ah yes, here it is. Sorry, it was hiding rather efficiently. Here you go,” She handed Makoto the whipped cream and the girl expertly poured an impressive amount into the glasses. 

“I haven’t actually done this one that often, tell me how it is,” Makoto mused to herself. “Ah, you do know you need to have your hands behind your back for this one, right?” Ryuji and Akira shared a silent conversation. Of course, Akira knew that, he was just hoping no one would point it out. Of course, Makoto just had to make sure that everything was to the rules and exact, even the most trivial things. 

After a moment of deliberation, the blond shrugged his shoulders and grinned devilishly. Akira cursed in his head and pulled the shots in front of them. 

“So… to you joining our team,” he said jokingly and crossed his arms behind his back, Ryuji following suit. 

He heard Futaba clap her hands in excitement and Ann chanting: “Chug, chug, chug,” in the background, but his mind zeroed in on the drink in front of him, as the boys almost simultaneously wrapped their lips over the rims of the glasses. Akira winced when the glass bumped his teeth, but wrapped his mouth around as tight as possible nonetheless, throwing back his head and gulping down the sweet burning liquid in one fluid motion. 

He heard Haru and Ann cheer while Futaba clapped her hands and Shiho laughed. 

He lowered his head and put down the glass, Ryuji right behind him. Akira breathed in heavily and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked at Ryuji and saw the blond had some of the whipped cream in the corners of his mouth. The raven laughed and tapped his own lips to show Ryuji where the excess was. 

Ryuji’s eyes flashed dangerously and before Akira’s brain could activate the Kill Bill sirens, Ryuji’s tongue darted out of his mouth and the tip of it nimbly licked the last of the whipped cream off. 

Akira’s brain short-circuited and because of that, his eyes shamelessly followed the path Ryuji’s tongue took. When his mind started banging pots and pans together to snap him out of his thoughts, he finally looked away, blinking about four times before he threw his head back in a laugh to seem as unaffected as possible. Futaba was still cheering, her voice making Morgana annoyed and the cat decided to make itself comfortable in Shiho’s lap. 

The boys shared one last look before Akira’s cheeks started burning and Ryuji’s neck seemed to obtain an unnatural colour of red. In the next second, the moment was lost as the bell rung once again. 

Haru grinned, skipping out of the room and yelling behind her, “That must be Yusuke!” 

Futaba looked at the cat sitting in Shiho’s lap with a hurt expression. 

“How come you like everyone more than you like me?! I found you! How dare you treat me that way?” 

Akira snorted, handing the shot glass to Makoto. 

“Actually, I found Morgana, you were just there to make his life miserable.” 

Futaba crossed her arms in front of her, “I take full offence.” Shiho laughed out loud and Akira saw Ann look at her fondly, relaxing her stance. _She must’ve been pretty worried about how Shiho would fit in._ His train of thought was interrupted by a loud bang coming from the door. 

“I don’t remember the door being so small, what did you do with it, Haru? Did you have it made smaller to more accurately match your physique?” 

“The door is the same as always, love,” Haru smiled fondly at her friend, slightly shaking her head behind his back. “And don’t call ever me short again.” 

Akira turned around to look at the situation. The skinny boy was carrying a canvas as big as him in one hand, while his other hand was busy keeping his bag on his shoulder. He wore his classic black and blue shirt paired with skinny jeans, which made his legs look three times longer. 

Ryuji bolted from his spot and helped Yusuke by taking the canvas out of his hands. 

“Whoa man, what the hell are you thinking, bringing this with you? How did you come here?” 

“I came by train,” The other boy said, completely unperturbed. 

Ryuji snorted and propped the canvas on the couch. “How did you even get it _on_ the train?” 

Futaba looked at the scene and drew her eyebrows together. “You plan on painting here?” 

Yusuke nodded, placing his bag next to the canvas, which was now taking up most of the room. “Yes, I do. Of course, I have a sketchpad with me too, so I do not ruin the canvas immediately. I do not have enough money to buy a new one just yet. Ah, that reminds me.” 

He briskly walked out of the room and Akira looked at Haru for answers. 

Haru smiled fondly, “He brought the canvas stand with him, too. I cannot even comprehend how he managed to haul everything with him, with how little he eats on a daily basis.” 

Makoto leaned her hands against the counter and propped her head on her palms. “I thought you said he started eating more since May?” 

Haru nodded, “He did, but only because I kept sending him messages to make him remember. However, when he had gotten this amazing idea for a new painting, he had put me on silent for two weeks. I kind of gave up after that,” She laughed and Yusuke rushed back in. 

He lowered the stand to the floor and tried to lift the canvas to put it on the stand, but he almost got knocked over, so Ryuji moved in to help him again. 

“Slow down, man, let me help,” they lifted the canvas together and put it on the stand. 

“I have been dealing with a rather annoying case of art block, so I speculated this to be a good place to look for inspiration, somewhere I don't normally go.” 

Futaba clapped her hands, “Well, that’s perfect, because you will get to eat here, too.” She stood up and made her way to the fridge to make something for Yusuke to eat. 

The boy hummed noncommittally, “Yes, I haven’t eaten since yesterday…”

Futaba glanced at him with an incredulous look and continued making him a sandwich. When she finished, she pushed it into Yusuke’s hands and the boy hardly registered it, almost subconsciously lifting the sandwich up to his mouth. 

Futaba bit her lip, “Should we make him something more… I don’t know. Rich in… vitamins and stuff?” 

Ann inclined her head. “I don’t know. Maybe? We can wait for a bit and see. So… his name’s Yusuke, huh?” 

Shiho wore a disbelieving look on her face. “He didn’t even… say hello.” 

Makoto hummed, “You’ll get used to it. He doesn’t prioritize talking to people. He’ll probably converse with you during the evening if you ask him about his current favourite painting.” She shrugged and turned towards the fridge. ”Yusuke, vanilla, strawberry, mango, or pineapple?” 

“Pineapple, please,” The boy answered without missing a beat or questioning her on why she wanted to know. He was staring at the blankness before him like he was trying to extract the meaning from the emptiness of it. 

Makoto nodded and picked up another cocktail glass. 

Haru sighed, “I guess we will have to take care of him. Akira, be a dear and bring your stool here.” 

Akira nodded and pulled it to Yusuke. When the boy made no effort to sit down, Akira gently grabbed him by the shoulders and slowly lowered him on the chair. A moment later, Haru came back with a small table, where she put Yusuke’s bag. Shiho brought a coaster and the cocktail Makoto mixed for the boy. 

Haru approvingly set her hands on her hips. “There, this should do it for a while.” 

Ryuji grinned and turned towards the others. 

“Alright, now what do we do?” 

Akira smirked, “We were thinking of playing Twister. Want to play with?” 

Futaba jumped, “Hell yes, I’m going to beat all of you!” 

The three jumped over the couch, with Ann following right behind them. Shiho stayed at her stool and was making small talk with Makoto, who was nibbling on some crackers. 

Haru walked over to the box and when they were all set, she sat down on the couch and started spinning the needle. A few rounds later, Ann’s leg was entangled with Akira’s right hand, And Futaba was practically sitting on Ryuji’s back, legs at each side of him. 

Akira laughed, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks. “This got very complicated very fast,” he remarked and Futaba snorted. 

“An excellent observation, thank you Captain Obvi- Ow! Watch where you’re stepping!” 

Ann made an indignant sound, “Well I’m sorry, it said right foot yellow, I put my right foot on the yellow! 

Akira was the first one to be out of the running. He became too confident and his hand slipped, which sent him sprawling on the plastic mat. 

Haru cheered and Ryuji groaned when Akira’s hand punched his side while trying to stand up. 

“Alright Ann, I’m putting all my faith in you, win for me,” Akira said and sat down next to Haru. 

“I got you! You can count on me!” Ann grinned, but with the way her head was almost touching the floor, she looked more like she wanted to cry. 

“Hey! I’m your cousin!” Futaba exclaimed and Akira raised his eyebrows. 

“You’re also a sore winner, no way am I cheering for you.” He answered and a few moments later, Ryuji was out. 

He sat down next to Akira and was breathing heavily. 

“You know, for a person who doesn’t work out, Futaba has surprisingly strong muscles to be able to hold that position for this long.” He exhaled slowly and Akira laughed. Futaba was leaning most of her body weight on her biceps, and Akira was kind of surprised, too. 

“You could say her competitiveness is holding her afloat, Akira remarked, making the blond snort and in the next few rounds, the girls’ legs started shaking with the effort. 

Ryuji folded his hands around his mouth, making a makeshift megaphone. “Come on, Ann, use your glutes!” he shouted and Ann sent a murderous gaze his way. 

“If you don’t shut up, I’m failing just to go and beat you up,” She breathed out and Futaba started laughing. 

“That’s… so funny, why is that so funny?” She started laughing and Ann followed right behind her. 

Akira looked at his cousin with a confused expression. Then, he turned to Makoto, who had stopped talking to Shiho to look at the pair on the mat in bewilderment. 

“Makoto, d’you give something to her?” 

“I- No, I didn’t, who do you have me for?” She waved her arm and looked at the raven. “She’s just having fun, people can do that without drinking, you know,” She reprimanded but looked at the redhead with a worried expression nonetheless. 

“Maybe it’s all the blood rushing to her head. How much longer is this going to take?” 

Akira shrugged but didn’t have to answer, because in the next moment, both of the girls were sprawled on the mat and laughing hysterically. 

“Oookay… Well, I’m glad you’re having fun. I’m gonna go grab a beer.” 

He stood up and went to the fridge to take it out. 

The girls both lost (or won, if you’re an optimist) at the same time and groups started forming. Ann stopped at Yusuke’s side, and the boy looked completely taken aback. When Akira walked past them, he heard Yusuke talking about a new inspiration and modelling. 

Ann looked a bit baffled, but it didn’t seem like she wasn’t having fun. Shiho was still talking to Makoto, and Futaba was lying on the floor, petting Morgana. 

He saw Haru waving him over. “Hey, Akira, want to play some beer pong?” 

The raven grinned, “Gladly, sign me up! Ryuji, care to join us?” He turned around and looked at the blond, who was standing next to the bookcase and reading the titles. Ryuji turned around and jogged to his side. 

“Sure, why not. What are we playing?” 

“Beer pong.” 

The blond smirked, “Perfect, then we need one more person. Ann, you want to play beer pong?” The girl’s head whipped around and she grinned, excusing herself to Yusuke who was still drawing in his sketch pad. 

“It’d be an honour bringing you to your knees,” She smiled devilishly, throwing her ponytails over her shoulders. 

“Yeah, where you belong,” Ryuji interjected and Ann snorted, putting her arm over his shoulder, which made them look like the most badass couple in the world. 

“Rude,” Akira muttered under his breath, making Haru giggle. 

Ryuji nodded and turned to Akira, “Me and Ann against you and Haru?” 

Haru leaned on the ping pong table and raised her eyebrows in challenge. 

Akira called for Makoto. “Makoto, want to bring us some beer? And plastic cups?” The brown haired girl nodded and Shiho helped her get the items. They placed the cups in a pyramid and poured beer in them. 

Ann raised her hands, “Ooh, can we add a twist? Every time someone has to drink, they also have to answer a question the other team wants them to!” 

Haru smiled, “Sure, that sounds like a good way to get to know each other better.” They stood opposite of each other like cowboys from a western movie. Shiho snorted and sat down on a chair next to them, curious how the game will turn out. 

“Alright, who starts?” Ann asked and Akira shrugged his shoulders. 

“Rock, paper, scissors?” 

Ryuji nodded and walked in front of Akira. The raven’s heart was beating against his ribcage when the blond looked at him, one hand in a fist, the other hugging it tightly. He was sporting one of those small smiles that brought demise to Akira’s train of thought. _God, Akira, hold yourself together, you’re not_ that _far gone,_ his mind said, but his heart didn’t exactly agree with the statement. 

“On three,” the raven nodded. 

Akira won, cutting Ryuji’s paper. Ryuji cursed under his breath and they all took their respective places. 

“I got this,” Akira cracked his neck. 

He scored the first one no problem, making Ryuji drink, “Now for the question… If animals could talk, which would be the rudest?” 

Ryuji looked like he was genuinely thinking hard for the correct answer. “A llama. Those spit, right?” 

Akira barked out a laugh. “Wasn’t expecting that one, but you’re right, they do look like they would be the rudest.” 

“Well, what animal did you think of?” 

Akira shrugged, “A cat. Cats are always the I-don’t-give-a-fuck-about-you-or-your-family type.” 

Ann nodded, “I can see that,” and so she landed a hit in one of the cups, making beer spill over the rim. She fist bumped Ryuji and he cackled, looking at Akira and Haru.

Haru sighed and drank. She looked at Akira, “The next one is on you.” Then she turned towards Ann, awaiting her question. 

“What would the world be like if it was filled with male and female copies of you?” 

Akira snorted, “Those would be the classiest species in the universe.” 

Haru lightly punched his shoulder, “Oh, stop it. But yes, we would talk about our problems over tea and biscuits.” 

Ann giggled, “That sounds perfect, actually,” And Haru continued with the game. 

In about half an hour, there were two cups of beer left on Ann and Ryuji’s side and one cup on Haru and Akira’s side. Akira was starting to feel rather light-headed. He hadn’t drunk alcohol in a while, and it showed. His vision started swimming around. He could still think clearly, although his brain found casual remarks a bit funnier than normal. 

The other three looked like they were in a similar situation, although Haru was taking it almost in stride. The things that girl could do without losing her class baffled the raven. 

As the night wore on, everyone dispersed a bit, with their own plastic cups filled with cocktails (Makoto was playing it safe and didn’t let them use the glass ones) and during the next hour, Akira lost sight of Ann and Ryuji. 

He wanted to find the boy, so he asked Makoto where he went. She was sitting next to Yusuke- whose brush strokes were becoming more and more unpredictable by the second- and Shiho, striking up a conversation about the newest art exhibit. 

“He was here ten minutes ago. I think he said something about finding some fresh air. Haru told him where to go to get to the back garden, so you’ll probably find him in that area.” 

Shiho interjected, “If you find Ann while looking for Ryuji, just tell her we’ll be going to the art museum featuring one of Yusuke’s paintings in the future. Also, I think Futaba went after her.” She smiled sweetly at the raven and he found himself smiling back and nodding along stupidly. 

Yusuke swirled around in his chair and comically lifted his finger. _I guess he had more than a few of those Pina Coladas too, huh?_

“Ah, tell Ann to make herself present here during the night, I want to picture a paint of her.” He turned back towards the canvas, which was now sporting a few squiggly lines without any order or correct colour combinations. 

Akira narrowed his eyes. _There was something wrong with that sentence. Ooh, gummy bears._

He nodded and said goodbye, made a turn towards the counter and grabbed a bag full of candy, then he went through the door to look for Ryuji. 

He knew he needed to go between the staircases to find Ryuji in the back garden, but wanted to say hello to Ann and Futaba and relay the messages, first. 

He turned towards the first door on the left and when he didn’t find them there, he continued around the circular room and finally found the pair next to the pool. Futaba was sitting on the edge of it, her arms hugging her legs, and she was idly chatting with Ann. The blonde was lying down next to the pool, making invisible angels in the ground. 

Akira stepped up to them. “Hey, what are you doing?” 

The blond propped herself on her elbows and looked at him with a confused expression. 

“What do you mean, what am I doing? Isn’t it obvious?” Akira inclined his head, waiting for the girl to continue and Ann sighed, exasperated. “I’m swimming, duh.” 

Akira drew his eyebrows together but didn’t oppose her. “Seems… legit.” He decided to say and Futaba snorted. 

He stuck his hand out and offered them the bag of gummy bears, which both girls gladly took. 

“Shiho says she wants to attend an art exhibit with you when one of Yusuke’s pieces is featured in the future.” 

Ann perked up at the mention of Shiho’s name and her eyes became more focused for a moment. 

“Of course, I’d be happy to.” Her mouth stretched into a small smile and she blushed. “I can’t believe Shiho is my girlfriend.” She sighed and Akira looked at her confusedly. 

“Haven’t you two been together for like… two years?” 

Ann nodded, “Three, actually,” She scowled, “But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m baffled by how I’m dating a literal angel.” 

Akira snorted, “Yeah, I guess it doesn’t.” 

Ann looked at him, her eyes glazed over again. She smiled and took his hand in hers. 

“Thank you for making sure she felt welcomed here. I’m glad she found some new friends. She normally doesn’t know how to talk to new people, and feels alienated sometimes, but I feel like this will be a good thing for her.” 

Akira squeezed her hand and then stopped. 

“I was supposed to tell you something else, too… Eh, I forgot. I think it was something to do with Yusuke. You’ll probably find out soon anyway. Now, I need to go find Ryuji. Excuse me.” He clumsily turned on his heels and walked towards the door. He heard Ann laugh and Futaba called behind him. 

“Go get him, tiger!” And just like that, they were talking among themselves again, and Akira started walking towards the staircase. 

He shivered when the cold air hit him, stepping into the back garden and closing the sliding glass door behind him. Because of the darkness enveloping the area, he didn’t see the blond anywhere, so he called for him. 

“Ryuji, where are you?” he yelled and stepped onto the grass. He forgot he was only wearing socks, and the wetness made him cringe, so he took his socks off and turned his attention back to the garden. 

“Ryuji!” He yelled again but was interrupted by a shush, coming from his right. He turned towards the sound and walked over to the blond, laying in the grass. 

“You’re gonna scare them away,” Ryuji whispered and Akira looked at the sky in a confused expression. 

“Who? The stars? You know we didn’t put anything in the cookies, right?” 

Ryuji shushed him again and Akira lay down next to him. The dew drops soaked his back, but it didn’t bother him as much as before. _I’m lucky if I don’t get a cold tomorrow,_ he thought wryly and looked up at the flickering lights. Because of the street lights, most of the stars were hidden, and he could only see the most prominent ones. 

“How long have you been laying here?” The raven whispered and turned his head to look at Ryuji on his right. 

The blond shrugged, “I don’t know, I lost track of time. What's the time?” 

Akira thought for a second. “I don’t know. I think it should be around midnight, but I’m not sure. How much have you had to drink?” 

He took his sweet time staring at the boy next to him. The blond’s features were slowly becoming more evident, as his eyes became used to the darkness, and he could see Ryuji staring at the stars with a look of such calm, that Akira felt guilty disrupting it with his talking. 

The boy looked beautiful. His eyes were shining, and he was biting the inside of his cheek, which made a small dent appear on the side of his face and Akira fought an urge to smooth it down. 

“I don’t know. I lost count. But I’m not that far gone, I don’t think.” 

Akira nodded. He himself felt soberer than he should have, too. The back of his head was starting to get wet from the grass, and he could only guess how much it will affect the curling of his hair. Suddenly, he was feeling strongly overwhelmed. He felt like he was at the top of the world, swimming through time and space. 

His mind flashed to Futaba, Ryuji and everyone else. He felt so blessed to have such good friends. He felt a strong connection to them and tears started welling up in his eyes. He sniffled and Ryuji turned his head to look at him. The boy propped himself on his elbows to look at the raven. 

“Hey man, you okay? What’s wrong?” 

Akira covered his eyes with his elbow, “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just happy I met you.” He shook his head and heard Ryuji’s breath hitch. 

The blond smiled gently, “Wow, you’re an emotional drunk, huh?” 

The moment was interrupted by a sound of footsteps coming closer. 

“Hello, are you two okay?” A low voice asked and Akira quickly sat up, almost bumping into Ryuji in the process. In front of them was standing one of Haru’s guards. Of course. He forgot she had guards around day and night. But he had to admit to feeling a lot safer, if there was someone from a third party looking out for them, too, no matter the cause. 

He nodded, “Yes sir, we’re okay. Just came outside to get some fresh air. Thank you.” 

The guard hummed, a benevolent smile dancing on his lips. “Alright, take care. If you need anything, just call for me.” He said and walked over to the other side of the garden. Akira lost him in the shadows and looked at Ryuji, who was staring at the raven with a small grin. 

“I’m happy I met you too, actually. Feels like my life finally has some meaning, now that I can help people.” 

Akira smiled and stared at the boy’s eyes. The chocolate colour was nowhere to be seen in this darkness, replaced by an almost void-like blackness. His cheekbones were all sharp edges in the dim moonlight, his hair almost white. The raven’s eyes flickered around Ryuji’s face and stopped at his lips, still slightly stretched with a smile. 

He heard the blond’s breath catch in his throat and he looked back at Ryuji’s eyes. Now, the blond was looking at Akira’s lips too and suddenly, the back of the raven’s brain registered they were sitting much closer than they were before. His heart started beating erratically against his ribcage, and his ears were filled with a buzzing sound of static. 

If he leaned in just a bit closer, their lips would collide. Ryuji let out a slow breath and inclined his head to the right. He was still looking at Akira’s lips. The raven felt the breath reach his face and that sent a shiver down his spine. His stomach lurched and he looked at the blond, before inching forward, when a crash was heard from the inside of the house. 

The two didn’t make an effort to lean back. They were still sitting just as close as before, and Akira could feel every erratic breath the blond let out hit him like a ton of bricks. 

He closed his eyes and cursed every deity that was apparently trying to make his life miserable. He looked at Ryuji, and they shared a silent conversation. The raven could see irritation in the blond’s eyes and he felt better, knowing he wasn’t the only one feeling like his cake had been eaten in front of him. 

Ryuji’s eyes flickered down to Akira’s lips once again, and they stayed there. When he broke the silence, the air crackled with the tension between them. 

“Should we check what happened?” He murmured, his voice raspy and low and Akira had to bite back a groan. 

“We should definitely check what’s happening.” The raven whispered back and Ryuji took in a deep breath. He lowered his head and Akira closed his eyes, a scowl forming on his face. 

Ryuji slowly turned away and stood up, offering his hand to Akira. The raven didn’t take it, because he knew if he tried to touch the blond now, they wouldn’t be leaving this spot for a while. 

They slowly started walking back to the house and Akira’s mind became a complete mess by the time they opened the door and stepped inside. 

They turned towards the living room and when they entered, Ryuji let out a confused sound at the back of his throat. 

“Whoa, what happened here?” He asked incredulously, and Ann gave him an apologetic smile. 

_Kind of represents my mind right now,_ Akira thought bitterly when he saw the condition of the room and helped Yusuke stand up. The room was a mess. Futaba was a giggling wreck, lying on the couch, while Ann looked guilty in the middle of the room, with glass bottles shattered all around her. Makoto was holding her head in her hands and Yusuke’s canvas was thrown on the floor, his brushes laying on it. 

Makoto sighed, picking up the broken pieces of the bottles, Haru helping her and Ann following suit not long after. 

“Yusuke wanted Ann to balance these bottles in her hands while standing on one leg and didn’t want to listen to me when I said it wasn’t a good idea. When it became apparent that the bottles were going to fall from Ann’s hands like bowling pins, Haru tried to help and knocked down the canvas in the process, sending Yusuke to the ground with it.” 

Makoto glared at Yusuke who looked unperturbed, sitting cross-legged and eating his second sandwich. “It’s a miracle no one got hurt,” she continued and Shiho brought the trash can to throw the glass in it. 

Yusuke looked at Akira and Ryuji. The raven probably looked like a mess, his hair sticking in all directions, his back wet and feet without the socks on, leaving a bit of dirt behind them. 

The taller boy made a confused sound at the back of his throat, “What is this? Didn’t I tell you two to sort this sexual tension out? How did you manage to make it worse?” 

Akira glared daggers at the tall boy. “Shut it. It’s your fault it came to the loud crash anyway.” 

Yusuke inclined his head in a questioning manner. “What does the crash have to with anything?” 

Akira waved his hand and looked at the floor, feeling more tired than ever. “It doesn’t matter. Eat your sandwich.” He muttered bitterly. 

“Alright, well, we gotta clean this up now,” Ryuji scratched his head and it took them about half an hour to get everything in perfect condition again. 

Ann yawned. “Sorry about that, if you find that any damage was made to the floor, tell me, I’ll pay you back,” She said and looked at Haru apologetically. 

The other girl took her hands in her own and smiled brightly, “It’s fine, you needn’t worry one bit,” she turned around to face the others. “Well, I’m guessing we are all getting rather sleepy now, do you want to go to sleep? I can bring some sleeping bags, and we can lie them down on the floor.” 

Akira nodded and went with Haru and Futaba to pick them up. 

“Do you even have enough of them? There are eight of us,” Futaba asked and Haru smiled over her shoulder. 

“It is completely fine, my parents love camping outside, so we have a whole stack of them in our storage area.” 

Futaba nodded and they continued walking in silence. 

“But seriously, what was that? Even I sensed something was up. You gonna tell us?” The redhead looked at Akira. 

The boy sighed, “Maybe tomorrow. I’m too tired to deal with this today.” 

“Alright then,” Futaba nodded and when they brought the sleeping bags back, they took their respective places and slowly, one by one they started falling asleep. 

Akira was laying down in a way that allowed him a great view of Ryuji’s sleeping bag, his blonde tuft of hair sticking out of the black material. 

Ryuji suddenly shifted and brought his head to the surface. All around them, Akira could hear the deep breaths and quiet snores from their friends. 

Ryuji blinked and his eyes shined in the darkness. He looked directly at Akira and smiled softly. 

“Goodnight, Akira.” 

Akira’s body was swarmed with unexplainable warmth, and his stomach did a backflip. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. 

“Goodnight, Ryuji,” he whispered back and Ryuji’s smile widened. 

Akira’s mind calmed down and he could think clearly again, a childish kind of excitement washing over him, before both of them fell into a coma-like sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bitterness in my soul commanded; 'Thou shall not hast thy kiss just yet'.  
> Honestly, I just want them to be completely sober for it.  
> If it helps the situation, I love all your support, thank you so much, you push me forward <33  
> Potato, out!


	15. Chapter 15

**Ryuji:** I think I just effed up. 

**Akira:** What did you do? 

**Ryuji:** I put too much salt in the dish. 

**Akira:** And here I was, worrying it was something serious. 

**Ryuji:** This is serious, mom doesn’t like salty food. 

**Akira:** I’m sure you’re just exaggerating. 

**Ryuji:** Pretty sure I’m not. 

**Akira:** Well, then you should start over? 

**Ryuji:** I don’t have time, mom’s coming home in an hour. 

**Akira:** Sucks to be you, then. 

**Ryuji:** ಠ~ಠ

 **Akira:** ~(˘▾˘~)

 **Ryuji:** ༼ つ ಥ_ಥ ༽つ

 **Akira:** Hey, you’ll be fiiiiine I know it. 

**Ryuji:** It’s just… I havnt seen her in so long. 

**Akira:** I know, but you shouldn’t worry. She won’t care if it’s too salty (which it won’t be). 

**Ryuji:** Right. Thanks. Talk to you later. 

**Akira:** Break a leg! 

**Akira:** But don’t actually. 

**Ryuji:** I’ll try not to. 

Ryuji put down his phone and focused his attention on the food prepared in front of him. He almost burned the rice half an hour ago. It was not one of his proudest moments, but he managed to keep the damage to a bare minimum. 

The music blaring through the speakers coordinated with his breathing, and he slowly let out a breath to calm himself down. 

He was getting a bit antsy since that morning, and the jittery feeling didn’t seem to be letting up. 

He closed his eyes, “Alright. I can do this. Just… pour the water out…” He inclined the bowl and the scorching hot water poured out. He hissed when vapour from the water hit his face and he slowly lowered the bowl back on the table. 

“How in the ever-loving fuck am I supposed to pretend I’m the best cook in a culinary school if I can’t even pour water out without burning myself?” He scowled and gently tapped the edge of the bowl. 

He lowered the volume of the speakers and continued cooking. When he got into a mindset and focused on his work without worrying too much, everything started flowing smoothly again, and when the bell finally rang, after a whole hour, Ryuji was prepared. He had already set the table for his mother and him and he was only doing the final touch-ups, tasting the food and making sure everything was in order. 

He jogged to the door and opened it with a swift movement, a strong body already hugging him. Ryuji buried his face in the crook of his mother’s neck and slowly inhaled her scent. 

She smelled like chamomile and a perfume he didn’t recognize, but he still smiled to himself. She was back, God, he had missed her so much. Two months without his mother there to talk with in person really did a number on him. He couldn’t see how lonely he’d felt before she was enveloping him in a bear hug again, and he almost melted in her arms. 

“Hi honey, I missed you so much,” He heard his mother mumble and he slowly returned his arms back to his body, only to look at his mother’s face. 

Her eyes were a golden brown colour, with long flowing black hair framing her thin face. She had her reading glasses on, and a black jacket hung over her shoulders. She was still dressed in her business clothes, the white shirt combined with a knee-length skirt that fitted her slim frame. 

Ryuji was taller than her, but only by an inch. She smiled at him, the worry lines crinkling around her eyes. 

“You’re taller than I remember, did you have another growth spurt while I was away?” 

Ryuji rolled his eyes at her and stepped into the house to let his mother in. She laughed and walked in, the heels of her black shoes clicking on the floor tiles. She put the shoes down and Ryuji noticed he was still sporting a pink apron with yellow flowers painted on it. 

“You say that every time. And no, I think this is about it for my height. If you forgot from the last time I told you.” 

The woman put the jacket on the hanger and lowered the bag with a small grunt. 

“Where is your suitcase?” Ryuji inclined his head in confusion, but the raven only waved her hand in his direction. 

“Ah, the staff lost it at the airport. Luckily, I had every important thing with me, in this bag. They said my suitcase is currently in Europe, near Italy, but they said they’ll deliver it to me when it gets back.” 

Ryuji whistled and picked up the bag, carrying it in the kitchen, his mother following behind him. The bag was one businessmen normally used for transporting, Kanae Sato written on the nameplate. 

When his mother stepped into the kitchen, she stopped at the doorway and slowly inhaled, closing her eyes and smelling the air. When she exhaled, a small smile graced her lips and she looked at her son with fondness in her eyes. 

“Smells wonderful, Ryuji, what did you cook?” 

Ryuji scratched his neck with embarrassment. “Nothing much. The soup’s probably too salty anyway.” 

Kanae stepped to the counter and opened one of the pots. She smelled again before closing it and stepping over to Ryuji, giving his forehead a quick kiss. 

“It’s perfect, thank you, honey. Makes it so much better if I come home to a cooked dinner.” She grinned at Ryuji and the boy couldn’t help but return the smile. 

She lowered herself onto a chair and suddenly looked a lot more tired than she seemed at first. The blond stepped over to her and tapped her shoulder to get her attention. 

“Hey, you okay?” 

She smiled, her eyelids fluttering groggily. “I’m just tired, Ryuji, nothing to worry about.” 

He nodded and turned to the counter. “Then you should probably have a shower before we eat. Come on, the food will wait.” He said and stirred the meal, onions floating on the surface of the soup. 

“Are you sure? We can still eat right now, I wouldn’t mind.” 

Ryuji shook his head, “Nah, you go on ahead. You’ll refresh like that, too.” 

He heard shuffling behind his back. “Alright. I’ll be quick. Thank you.” 

Kanae stepped out and Ryuji started whistling to himself, a small smile daring to creep on his features. His mom still looked just like he remembered, excluding a few of her new grey hairs. But when she had sat down on her chair, Ryuji shivered at how fragile she looked. So tired and worn out, it made him angry and sad. 

He wanted to help his mother in every way possible but was unable. She did so many things for him, and he could do nothing but cook her dinner, which was too salty on top of that. 

He scoffed to himself and turned the heating down a notch, food only slightly bubbling in the pot instead of a full volcano erupting in their house. 

When he heard soft steps coming down the stairs, he turned the oven off and put soup on the table. He saw his mom stretch in the doorway, putting her arms over her head. Now, she was wearing loosely fitted track pants, combined with a red and white cardigan. A neon green bra strap was showing, on her shoulder, and Ryuji grinned at her from where he was standing at the table. 

As if by magic, her whole professional aura was diminished, and she looked as comfortable as ever, a long braid keeping her hair out of her face. 

“Ah, the shower really helped. And again, thank you for making dinner, dear.” 

She stepped next to him and he could see some colour returning to her cheeks. He was kind of getting mad at himself for not noticing before, but he was so excited she had come back, that he completely overlooked the fatigue. 

“No problem, mom. Here, sit down.” He gestured towards the chair opposite of him. She chuckled and ruffled his hair. Then she inclined her head and scrunched up her eyebrows, looking at Ryuji with a dissatisfied look. 

“What? Is it something on my face?” He confusedly reached his hands towards his face, but the woman just batted them away, sliding her fingers through his hair again. She clicked her tongue and slightly scowled, her eyebrows lowering while she looked at her son. 

“Your roots are showing again. You should keep them tidy,” She chastised and Ryuji felt tension dissipating from his shoulders. 

“Jeez, don’t scare me like that, I thought there was like a spider crawling on my head.” He scratched his cheek. “But yeah, I’ve been meaning to do it for a while. It just hadn’t come up yet, didn’t feel like it,” He shrugged his shoulders and his mother flipped her braid over her shoulder while she sat down, crossing over her legs. 

Ryuji cleared his throat. Even wearing a tracksuit, she was exuding a powerful aura of dominance and class that she learned to use to help her with her business. He couldn’t believe a woman like that gave birth to him, a delinquent with bleached blonde hair and mouth like a sailor. He grinned before sitting down on his chair. 

They each took some of the soup for themselves and Ryuji waited for his mother to taste it first. She raised the spoon to her lips and tasted the soup, slowly turning the food around in her mouth, she got used to doing it for the first time she tastes a dish, to tell her son exactly what she thought of it. 

He couldn’t remember a single time she hadn’t praised him, although he was a hundred per cent sure that when he started cooking, it tasted like grass mixed with canned baby food. So he was amazed at her ability to keep not-at-all-tasty food in her mouth for so long, to give him a not-very-correct evaluation of his work. 

She smiled at him and gulped. “This is perfect, Ryuji, what are you talking about? It’s not salty at all.” 

Ryuji grumbled, but his core warmed up at her words. 

“You don’t like salty foods. I still think it’s too much. 

“Well, I say it’s perfect, so quit your moaning.” 

Ryuji chuckled and raised his hands up in defeat, “Alright, alright, thanks.” 

They ate in comfortable silence, saying close to nothing to each other until they were full and Kanae leaned back on her chair. 

“So, what’s been new with you?” 

Ryuji gulped. He wasn’t sure how to talk about the past two weeks.

_Oh yeah, I got a new friend, he broke into our house the other day. Yeah, he’s good, I actually started helping him and his cousin with their stealing. Nah, don’t worry about me, it’s just from wealthy jerks with guard dogs and cameras on every corner. Yeah, I’m going to work at one of their houses this week._

He put down his spoon and looked down at the table. 

“I actually met a few new people the past week,” He started. _That’s a safe start, right?_ His mother inclined her head, her eyes trained on him. She smiled sweetly. 

“Oh, are they your new friends? I was actually getting a bit worried since you always only hang out with Ann and Shiho. Who are they?” 

The blond scratched his neck, “Well, one’s a boy, Akira, and his cousin, Futaba. We met a week ago when they were passing by. They’re really good people.” He smiled tentatively and his mother’s eyes shined back. 

“That’s sweet, how old are they?” 

“They’re about the same age as me, but go to a different school. That’s why we never crossed paths before.” 

The woman was still leaning back on her chair, listening closely to her son. 

“Well, be sure to introduce them to me properly one day, I’m sure I’ll like them.” 

Ryuji smiled, “Yeah, you definitely will. We’ve been hanging out a lot these past few days, actually, they’re lots of fun. Futaba is a big computer nerd, always talks about new video games to play, and Akira actually has a lot of the same interests in novels like me. He always knows just what to say, and he’s one of the funniest people I know,” He started rambling and Kanae raised her eyebrow at him. _Fuck, did I say too much?_

“They sound very interesting, especially this Akira fellow. Want to say more?” She said slowly, a knowing glint in her eyes. Ryuji internally banged his head against the table. 

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to talk about Akira with his mother, not just yet. Since the weekend, the boys hadn’t mentioned the moment outside of Haru’s house once, and Ryuji has been getting considerably irritated with himself. 

His mind had been just a big mess since then, jumping from one thought to another, making him tired even before he opened his eyes in the morning. 

He wasn’t stupid. Academically, sure, not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but he was pretty proud of his abilities to read his emotions properly. He needed to be, considering the bullshit he had to go through because of his dad on a day-to-day basis. 

But now, suddenly, he felt like he didn’t know which way was up, which way was down, how to proceed, how to talk…

Surprisingly, even though he and Akira didn’t talk about that night, they didn’t stop texting each other, or talking over the phone. They still cracked jokes, and Ryuji felt safe while talking to the curly haired boy. But in the moments of short silence, he could feel a faint itch at the back of his mind he couldn’t scratch. 

Was he reading too much into things? He was pretty sure they’d have kissed that night if _someone_ hadn’t been playing a fucking cock block. 

Even now, he wasn’t opposed to the idea of kissing the boy or doing other things friends are not exactly supposed to do. But does Akira feel the same way? Was he too intoxicated that night to think clearly, had he changed his mind? 

These questions had been plaguing his mind the past days, and it was driving him crazy, like constant drops of water being dropped on his forehead. 

Sure, he wasn’t known for thinking before acting, but this time, it somehow felt different to him. If he read the signs wrong, he could ruin a pretty nifty friendship. And he didn’t want to screw that up. 

So he had to think things over, figure them out for himself, before talking to anyone else about them. _You know, like a normal person._

Ann had been flooding his messages with questions about what happened between them day in and day out, so he blocked her for the time being. She’d been angry, sure, but she wasn’t one to hold grudges. 

So when she started messaging him from Shiho’s phone too, he begrudgingly answered her questions as quickly as possible and with as little information contained in them as he was able to. When he satisfied her need for drama, she left him alone, to cook things over in his head for himself. 

“I… don’t really know what’s going on. I’ll tell you when I know more,” He said slowly and looked at his mother from under his fringe. 

His mom took that better than Ann, he had to admit. She nodded slowly, giving him a small smile before she stood up and took the plates in her hands. They started cleaning up, and Ryuji decided to take this moment to inform her of his new job. 

“I decided to take some… cooking lessons, from a professional chef.” 

Kanae stopped washing the plates and looked at her son with raised eyebrows. 

“That sounds interesting, what made you do that?” 

_Okay. Nice and steady, you can do this. Don’t fuck this up._ “It’s like an internship, sorta. I wanted to start making my own money, I don’t want you paying for all the expenses all the time,” He said and his mother’s eyes softened. 

“You do know it’s not a problem for me right? I can pay for everything, we don’t need to save money, anymore, honey.” She said slowly and Ryuji nodded before shifting the weight on his legs. 

“I know, but I still want to start working for myself, too.” 

Kanae nodded, cleaning the cutlery. They could have just thrown them in the dishwasher, but it had become a habit for them to clean the dishes themselves. It was a time when they could talk after his mother’s day of hard work, and when they could take their time talking to each other about everything or nothing in particular. 

“Alright, I won’t stop you, love,” She smiled, “I’m kind of proud of you, actually. You, wanting to make your own money, without my own help. But how come a professional chef is prepared to teach you?” 

Ryuji’s saliva almost went down the wrong pipe. 

“I asked Futaba to pull some strings,” he said with narrowed eyes. _Be careful what you say._ “She sent my application around, you know how I told you she’s a computer geek. She knew how to get their attention.” He decided to say and he mentally patted himself on the back. 

His mom nodded, a corner of her mouth quirking up, “And here I was, thinking you were getting teaching lessons because of your own accomplishments.” She said and _okay, that stung a little._

He felt bad for lying to her, but he knew this to be the best course of action. His mom wouldn’t approve of his actions, and he had to be a teeny bit economical with the truth. 

“Well, they were still my abilities that got their attention,” He pointed out.

_Maybe don’t mention the fake magazines Futaba printed you in. Or the part about skipping a year. Hah, she would die on the spot from laughing if I told her about that._

He couldn’t help but smile a bit at this and he looked at his mom. 

She smiled lightly and bumped their shoulders together, “I know honey, I’m just teasing.” She sighed, a scowl taking over her features. “You can’t get anywhere in this day and age without connections or some kind of cunning, anyway. God knows my success was a big gamble, too.” She said and Ryuji drew his eyebrows together. 

“What do you mean? You succeeded because of your own hard work,” He started but his mom shook her head, effectively silencing him. 

“That’s true, but many aren’t that lucky. So many people don’t get what the rightfully deserve, even if they work harder than it’s humanly possible.” She sighed, closing her eyes and taking a weary breath. 

The blond’s heart clenched at how troubled his mom looked at that moment and a second later, rage boiled in the pits of his stomach. 

“It’s all those fucker’s fault, taking from people at the bottom of the food chain,” He spat out and his mom shot him a warning glare. 

“Language, Ryuji.” 

The boy sighed, “Sorry, it’s just… my dad-“

“Your father was a good man,” his mother said carefully, cutting off whatever Ryuji had to say. The blond looked at her with a betrayed expression, and she shook her head, some of her locks escaping her braid. 

“He… before he got blinded by greed,” She started slowly, putting down the cutlery and turning off the water. She turned towards Ryuji and looked at his face, a warm, but far-off expression on her face. 

She shook her head, taking Ryuji’s hands in her own. The blond was still looking at her with his eyebrows knitted together. He almost couldn’t process the words coming out of his mother’s mouth. 

She was a hero to him, a person who saved him, a person he would give his life for in a heartbeat. She helped him through tough times, shielded him from his father, and now she was talking about the man like he didn’t throw her son on the streets because he didn’t like only girls? 

“Mom, I-“ the woman shushed him, a hurt look still on her face. When she knitted her eyebrows together, worry lines appeared on her forehead, and she looked older than she was. Grief and pain flooded her eyes as she searched his son’s expression. 

“Listen to me, Ryuji,” She raised her hand and gently tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind his ear. “I am not excusing his actions. He does not deserve your forgiveness.” She shook her head, “I will never ask of you to forgive him. He does not deserve that. But before he got influential… Before power and greed corrupted him, he was a good man. I cannot say whether he wasn’t homophobic,” 

She scoffed. “He probably was, somewhere deep inside. That doesn’t just come out of thin air. But he would never have thought of doing other things, like stepping over others to get to where he is now,” She said, her voice almost too quiet for Ryuji to hear. She sounded broken. Tired. 

“I still love him,” She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “Or, not love, per se, but he is still dear to me. Somewhere deep inside, I still see him as my husband. I still hold his before picture somewhere in my heart.” She squeezed Ryuji’s hands in her own, her eyes begging for Ryuji to understand. 

She raised her hand and cupped her son’s cheek. 

“I still love him,” She whispered and Ryuji wanted to turn his head away from her, but his eyes wouldn’t move, he was holding her gaze, searching her irises and reading the truth in them. “But I love you more, Ryuji. Honey, I love you so much more. 

“I just- wanted you to understand. He… wasn’t always the bad man you know him as.” Tears were welling up in her eyes, but the boy couldn’t reach out to make them go away. He felt so small like he was getting swallowed up by the ground. But then his mother reached for him and pulled him out of the quicksand yet again. 

She snaked her hands around the boy, and he felt so small, like he was seven again, getting hugged after he fell on the concrete floor. His knees scraped, bleeding from the wounds, and his mother held him tightly, whispering into his ear, enveloping him with her warm body. He felt safe, here in her arms, and he hugged back. Only then did he feel his tears falling. For years he felt like something had been missing, a small piece of information hidden from him. 

And he still didn’t know the answer, as to why his dad was the way he was. But he felt safe. Here, where his mother didn’t know the answer either but wasn’t trying to find it, for the sake of making sure Ryuji was okay. His mother, who sacrificed everything for him, and was continuing to do just that, even after the imminent danger was long gone. 

They stood in the middle of the kitchen, two broken puzzle pieces finding comfort in each other’s brokenness. 

They cried together, both their shirts getting wet from the tears, but they didn’t care. 

“I love you so much, Ryuji. Please do not forget that,” his mom whispered one last time before she released him from her tight grip and their crying let up. “I would do anything for you, love.” 

The blond smiled weakly, wiping his tears away with the back of his hand. He snorted, looking at the bloodshot eyes of the woman before him. 

“Well, that escalated quickly,” He said, letting out a small laugh, and a moment later, they were both laughing. He felt like he was on a rollercoaster, one moment he was pummelling to his death, and the other, he was already climbing back up. He sobered up. 

“I won’t forgive him,” He said, looking at his mom with a sober expression. 

The raven smiled softly, ruffling his hair. She hiccupped, and Ryuji smiled back at her, “I know, love. I know. I don’t expect you to.” 

They walked over to the TV, searching for the newest chick flick, which led to them only making fun of the lead roles, Ryuji gagging at every cheesy moment shown on the screen. 

Kanae broke the soothing silence that settled between them. “So where is this chef you are going to learn from? And when do you start?” 

Ryuji shrugged, “He’s an hour drive away by train. And I agreed to start working this Saturday, so in five days.” 

The woman pouted, leaning her weight on the blond next to her. “Five days, I only get five days with you before you start working? Did you even miss me at all?” 

Ryuji scoffed, “Five days is the most amount of time you get with your son. A day more and I’ll be regarded as uncool on the school grounds.” He mockingly raised his head and his mother snorted, leaning her head on his shoulder. 

“Didn’t know there’s a limit to how much time you get to spend with your mother before you become uncool,” She parroted his voice and Ryuji laughed lightly. 

After they finished watching the movie, Ryuji said goodnight to his mom and got into his bed. He almost drifted to sleep, when a chime from his phone brought him back to life. He cringed at the sudden light coming from the screen, and he read the received message. 

**Akira:** So, how was the food? 

**Ryuji:** Actually, it was pretty good. Didn’t eff up as much as I thought. 

**Akira:** Good. 

**Akira:** Was getting a bit worried that I chose the wrong person to have on the inside. 

**Ryuji:** Har-har, no coffee for you when you come over next time, dear sir. 

**Akira:** No coffee?! Are you insane? 

**Akira:** That’s a public offense, right there. 

**Ryuji:** And I just brought some whole beans, too. Such shame, 

**Ryuji:** I guess they’ll have to go meet the trash can. Lord knows we can’t have unnecessary stuff clogging our cupboards. 

**Akira:** I am unfriending you on Facebook.

 **Akira:** One more misstep, and I’m blocking you from my Tumblr, too.

 **Ryuji:** You have a Tumblr?

 **Ryuji:** Of course you do, who am I kidding.

 **Ryuji:** Please tell me you don’t post pictures of fairy lights and coffee cups.

 **Akira:** There, blocked.

 **Ryuji:** Pshh, my heart is breaking.

 **Akira:** As it should be.

 **Ryuji:** Goodnight, Akira. And thanks. :)

 **Akira:** Anytime. G’night.

Ryuji sighed softly and put his phone down when he heard a quiet knock from the other end of his door. The doorknob turned and his mother’s head peeked inside. She smiled at the mop of blonde hair and silently stepped into the room.

“What do you say, for old time’s sake?” She asked softly, and Ryuji smiled at her from his place in the bed.

“Night, mom.” He said and the woman looked at him with adoring eyes.

“Goodnight, Ryuji.” She whispered, lowering her head and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. Then she turned around and Ryuji followed her with his eyes.

He slowly fell into a dreamless sleep, his mind calm and clear for the first time in a while.

He didn’t get anything figured out, far from it. But he couldn’t give a damn about that right about now.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut at the start; if it's not your cuppa tea, you can either not read, or skip to the *** indicating the end of that part.

Akira's breath hitched as he felt the cold of Ryuji’s exhale on his neck. The blond chuckled with a low voice and proceeded leaving a trail of wet kisses down Akira’s neck and tasting his skin. Akira groaned and shut his eyes tightly, feeling Ryuji’s arms snake around his torso and rub their growing erections together. 

“Akira… Jesus. Look at you,” The blond gasped, his eyes almost black in colour. He looked at Akira through his thin lashes and smiled devilishly, which sent a shiver down Akira’s spine. Ryuji used this moment to kneel down in front of him, and Akira almost lost it at the sight. Ryuji’s eyes were hooded with lust, and his lips were swollen from kissing. 

_I did that,_ Akira groaned and put one hand in Ryuji’s hair. He pulled slightly and Ryuji obediently leaned his head on the side, revealing purple marks at the side of his neck. Akira whined and his eyes travelled down Ryuji’s body. He had no shirt on, revealing his heaving chest, a trail of sweat already trickling down it and the abdominal muscles, which Akira decided to get to know better at a later notice. His happy trail was being accentuated by the v of his hips, getting lost in the jeans the boy was still wearing. 

Ryuji smirked and Akira snapped his attention back to the matters at hand. He himself wasn’t wearing a shirt either, and Ryuji’s cold fingers teasingly travelled down his abdomen, leaving sparks in their wake. 

Akira sighed softly as the blond hooked his fingers around the belt loops and leaned his chin against the other’s lower stomach. Then he slowly started opening the zipper and Akira felt himself harden with every inch, his cock begging to be released. 

“Ah… Ryuji, please…” He gasped when Ryuji mouthed at his clothed erection, looking up at him with eyes that were promising so much more. 

The boy licked his lower lip and Akira’s eyes helplessly followed the path Ryuji’s tongue took. 

“Whaddya want, Akira? You need to speak,” He smirked and Akira’s vision tunnelled as Ryuji pulled down his underwear, letting them pool around his ankles. 

“Ah, g-god, please, just-“ Ryuji seemed to take pity on him, because in the next moment, he was taking Akira’s dick in his mouth, his tongue rolling around the tip. Akira might’ve screamed a bit, he wasn’t sure, but he also didn’t care. His grip on Ryuji’s hair tightened and the blond moaned around his cock, sending vibrations through his body and sending Akira into feelings of pure bliss. 

He refused to look away from the sight, so he lowered his head and his mouth watered when he saw Ryuji, the blond’s cheeks filled with the weight of him and his eyes closed. He was already at the base of Akira’s cock, swallowing around it and Akira had to grip the edge of the table behind him to make sure his knees didn’t buckle. 

His phone decided this was a good opportunity to make itself known. Akira growled when he heard the chime, but Ryuji didn’t look bothered. He continued bobbing his head up and down Akira’s length, a bit of spit dribbling from the corners or his mouth. He gripped Akira’s hips even tighter in an attempt to bring him back to the moment. 

“Ah, god, Ryuji… You’re so good,” Akira moaned and he sent a disoriented look towards his phone. 

“I gotta-“ 

***

Akira woke up in his bed, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. He was breathing heavily and he groaned, sitting up and rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Oh, Jesus fuck…” He sighed when the tune didn’t let up. 

“Alright, alright,” He glared at the phone, wincing when his erection pressed into his pajama bottoms. 

He looked at the phone screen and all the blood left his face. 

He coughed and leaned into the speaker. 

“Hi, Ryuji, what’s up?” _Don’t freak out, it was just a dream. A really, really hot dre-_

“Hey man, I was thinking, maybe you’d want to swing by my place today? I was thinking of going on a run, want to come with?” Akira could hear the blond’s grin through the phone and his lips curled into a smile subconsciously. 

“Uhh, yeah sure, I’m not doing anything else…” He trailed off, glaring at the dent in his pyjama pants. 

“Great, I’ll be waiting for you, around noon?” He asked and Akira nodded, before remembering Ryuji couldn’t see him. 

“Sounds great. See you then.” 

“Alright, bye!” 

Akira cancelled the connection and sniffed with an offended look. 

“How am I supposed to survive this?” He whispered to himself before picking up a green T-shirt and black shorts. 

He walked down the stairs and said hello to Sojiro brewing coffee, not even worrying about the old couple sitting at the far left corner of the café and walking straight to the bathhouse. 

When he returned, a cup of coffee was waiting for him at the counter and Sojiro was washing the dishes. He only glanced in his direction before returning to his work as Akira idly sipped his cup of coffee.

“Morning, kiddo, how’ve you been?” 

Akira groaned as an explanation and Sojiro chuckled, wiping his hands on a cloth and standing in front of him. 

“That bad, huh?” 

“You don’t even know.” Sojiro hummed and looked at the raven with an amused expression. 

“If you’re having that bad of a time, maybe you should help around the café,” He said pointedly and Akira sniffed before pouting, making Sojiro chuckle. “I haven’t seen you _or_ Futaba around these past few days. I hope you’re not bringing my daughter into any trouble. You are my nephew, but don’t think for a second I am unable to skin you alive,” 

Akira raised his hands in a peace offering. He snorted, “Trouble finds Futaba by itself, I have nothing to do with it.” He set his glasses and looked at his uncle, whose eyes gleamed joyously. 

“Touché,” Sojiro said and put down his cup. He went to the back and called after the boy, “What do you want for breakfast? I can make you some eggs and bacon, if you’d like.” 

Akira nodded, “That sounds amazing, thanks,” Sojiro hummed in reply and Akira ate his breakfast like a starved man, before going upstairs to get himself ready. 

He needed to check if he had his running shoes, if he didn’t leave them in the laundromat, and after he was done cleaning around his room, it was already time to go. He grabbed the nearest bag and put in some spare clothes he could change into later. Then, taking the train, he almost fell asleep before jumping off at the right platform and jogging towards Ryuji’s house. 

He was greeted by the blond, already waving and walking towards him, seemingly ready to start running. Akira’s memory flashed back to the dream from the morning and he shut his eyes before quickly opening them again to get rid of the intrusive thoughts. 

“Hey, I was waiting for you,” Ryuji grinned and Akira looked at the time on his phone, a bit worried he was late. He made a confused sound at the back of his throat. 

“What do you mean, I was ten minutes early,” He asked and Ryuji’s eyes widened infinitesimally, before he cleaned his throat and looked down at his feet. 

“Yeah, well, I couldn’t wait to see you again,” He mumbled, but he was talking clearly enough that Akira heard him without any problems. 

He blinked a few times as Ryuji kicked the ground, catching a leaf with his foot and sending it into the air, where the weak wind picked it up and sent it flying away together with Akira’s rational thinking. He couldn’t form a good enough reply, but Ryuji saved his ass by grinning maniacally at him and walking by him, Akira mindlessly striding behind. 

“So, I was thinking we could run the same track we did the previous time, whaddaya think?” 

Akira shrugged, quickening his pace to catch up to the blonde, “Sure, sounds good to me. Lead the way.” 

Ryuji glanced over his shoulder and sent the raven a quick smile before he started running. Akira cursed under his breath and started behind him, already crying inside at the exertion waiting for him after a couple of miles. 

___

After an hour Akira was sweating bullets when they finally got back to Ryuji’s house. He was breathing heavily and Ryuji wasn’t doing much better, his hair sticking to his forehead. 

Akira had his hair wound in a tight ponytail at the back of his head and when he removed the band, his hair was sticking in all directions, droplets of sweat already continuing their path down his neck. For this run, he had removed his glasses and he felt better with them not fogging up with his every breath. 

Ryuji stretched in front of his door and yawned. “We better get back now, but man, that felt amazing,” He grinned at the raven, Akira’s core warming up in reply. 

When they entered Ryuji’s house, the blond yelled into the quiet corridor, “Mom, I’m back!” 

Akira winced. _Fuck, that’s right, his mom’s back from her business trip._

He cleared his throat and walked behind Ryuji to the living room. There, a woman in her forties was sitting on the couch, scribbling something on the papers thrown all around her. She had thin rim glasses on her nose that framed her face. Her black long hair was swept over one shoulder and was held together by a hair band. 

She looked up from her work and her eyes smiled warmly as she saw her son enter the room, Akira stepping slowly behind him. He smiled tentatively at the lady. _Don’t freak out, she’s just Ryuji’s mom. It’s fine. Just maybe don’t tell her about your daily urge to make out with her son and you’ll be golden._

The woman stood up and Akira was surprised at seeing her rise to her height. She was only a bit shorter than him, and that was saying something. 

She walked over to the raven and stretched out her arm with a dazzling smile plastered on her face. Akira’s vision blurred. He saw so much of Ryuji in her motions that he would probably be able to guess the connection between them even without knowing about her being his mother. She smiled just like him, the right corner of her lips only a bit higher than the right, with her eyes crinkling at the corners in a manner that Akira associated with Ryuji. 

“Hello, I’m Ryuji’s mom. You can call me Kanae.” She smiled at him with her hand still outstretched between them. 

Akira cleaned his throat and took her hand. It was colder than his. “Nice to meet you, I’m Akira.” He smiled tentatively and he saw a flicker of recognition fly through Kanae’s eyes as her eyebrows raised just a tiny bit. 

“Akira, huh?” She glanced over her shoulder to shoot a glance towards Ryuji. She squeezed his hand just a tiny bit before she let go, and Ryuji hummed, already diving deep into the chocolate chip cookies lying on the plate in front of the couch. 

“Ryuji told me a lot about you, I’m happy to finally put a face to the name,” His mother mused and Akira saw Ryuji glare at her, although he didn’t look very troubled, with crumbs falling from the corners of his lips. 

Akira snickered before returning his attention back to the woman in front of him. He felt tension dissipating from his shoulders as he sent her a small smile. 

“I hope he didn’t tell you anything embarrassing,” He said and Kanae leaned her head on the side before speaking. 

“No, but even if he did, he knows I can return that tenfold with some of the stories from his childhood,” She said conspiratorially and Ryuji lightly slammed his hand on the table before walking over to them, a frown dampening his features. 

“We will not be talking about any childhood stories, ma,” He said before yanking Akira away from the woman, pulling him to the couch. 

Kanae hummed in disapproval, “Where do you think you’re going? You boys need a shower, I am not letting you two sit on this couch with how sweaty you are.” 

Ryuji sighed and looked at Akira apologetically, while the raven only sent him an amused glance. 

“Right. Well, you go shower first, then.” He gestured Akira towards the stairs and the curly haired boy only nodded in reply, taking his bag with the spare clothes and walking upstairs. 

Ryuji yelled behind him, “You know where to find the towels!” 

Akira nodded and stepped into Ryuji’s room, closing the door behind him and walking towards the bathroom. 

When he got there, he stripped down his sweaty clothes and got into the shower. He sat down on the ledge in the shower and sighed contentedly, only letting the water run down his aching limbs for a few moments, before using one of Ryuji’s shampoos and getting rid of the sweat lingering on his body. 

When he looked at the row of shampoos, he shook his head in confusion. _Kind of getting the impression of you being pretty high maintenance, Ryuji._

His thoughts stopped at the memory of Ryuji’s mom. On one hand, she was everything he was expecting from a responsible and self-sacrificing mother, and on the other, she was a whole other person, exuding a quiet kind of strength. _She seems interesting, I’d love to talk to her more, actually._

He stepped out of the shower and dried his skin with one of the towels. Then, he put on a simple pair of jeans and a red T-shirt, putting the sweaty clothes into his bag and opening the door to Ryuji’s room. 

To his surprise, the boy was already sitting on the edge of his bed, fidgeting with the keys in his hands. When he saw Akira, he stood up and walked over to him with a smirk on his face. 

“Hey man, just wanted you to know before she asks anything,” He started, his voice hushed down a bit, although Akira hadn’t deemed it necessary. “I told her we met in front of my house a few weeks ago. Can’t have her knowing we met because of you breaking into our house and stealing from her room, now can we?” His eyes glimmered in the light from the bathroom. 

Akira shuddered at the memory. _Fuck, that’s right. I went and rummaged through her drawers- Oh my lord, The bras! How could I fucking forget! Jesus my eyes have been burned!_ He was slightly tempted to ask Ryuji where he keeps the bleach for his hair at the memory, but externally, he only nodded. 

“Right. We can’t have that,” He jokingly repeated and Ryuji grinned, clapping him on his shoulder. 

“I’ve prepared you some lunch downstairs, go and eat it. I’ll be fast,” He said and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him and leaving Akira alone with the turmoil in his head. 

_You’ll be fine._ He walked downstairs and turned towards the kitchen, trying desperately not to skip to the food laying on the red counter. He saw Ryuji’s mom had relocated herself and was now sitting at the dining table, munching on a sandwich while looking through the papers. She looked up at him and smiled warmly. 

“Ryuji prepared a meal for you, go ahead and take it,” She said after swallowing a bite of her own sandwich and Akira nodded politely before grabbing the plate with his food on it and gently sitting down at the other end of the table, careful to put his food away from the disarray of papers laying all over the table. _Guess he inherited his untidiness from her,_ he thought amusedly as he watched her mark a series of words, before putting the highlighter down and sighing softly. 

She leaned back on her chair and looked at Akira with a jubilant expression, although her eyes revealed the veiled curiosity. 

“So, Akira, I heard you and Ryuji became good friends in the past month,” She started and the boy slowly exhaled, swallowing a piece of sandwich before nodding. 

“Yeah, we met a bit over two weeks ago from now. To be honest, I haven’t clicked with someone so quickly before,” He said with a small smile that Kanae returned. 

“He does talk rather much about you, that is true. I’m happy he made more friends. Before, he was only talking to Ann and Shiho, next to some acquaintances from his track team. I hear you and your cousin are a rather quirky bunch of people.” She said and Akira internally raised his eyebrows. _What’s that supposed to mean? What do I say to that? I mean, she’s not wrong._

He chuckled, “I guess you could say that. I’m happy we met, he’s a really good person. He told me about the hard times you two had to go through, and I’m glad he’s prepared to be my friend.” 

Kanae’s eyes softened a bit more and she let out a short breath through her nose. 

“He is a bit of a trouble child,” She smiled to herself. “But he’s a good person. He told me you two met in front of our house, how come we hadn’t seen you around before?” 

Akira froze. _Think of something, fast._ He cleaned his throat. “Futaba and I were cycling and ran into Ryuji on our way home. We don’t normally cycle around these parts and we were pretty incautious. We collided pretty badly, and the next thing I knew, I was talking to him and Ann in my uncle’s café. He was pretty pissed at first, but we got over it.” _Yeah, by him punching me in the jaw._ He subconsciously rubbed his jaw and his mind winced in memory of the blow he suffered that day. 

“Ah, so you met Ann, too?” 

Akira nodded, “And Shiho. They’re really nice people.” 

“Ah, yes, they’re a really cute bunch, aren’t they,” She mused to herself and Akira smiled, finding he enjoyed talking to Ryuji’s mother. 

“They are.” 

They sat there in silence for a few moments, Akira stuffing his face with the sandwich. 

“Ryuji said you’re going to a different school, what are you thinking of doing next?” 

Akira shrugged. He never really liked these questions. “I don’t know, probably something with Japanese language,” He said and Kanae nodded. 

“You actually do look like a person who’s good at languages,” 

Akira scratched his neck in embarrassment, “Well I don’t really excel at them, but I guess you could say I’m pretty good.” 

The black haired woman smiled warmly, ”Not like my Ryuji. Languages are all Greek to him,” She mused and Akira waved his hand in her direction. 

“Don’t even worry about it, he’s perfect the way he is. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen someone with such street smarts, and being this good at conversing with other people. He befriended my friends in a matter of seconds, whereas I had to work my ass off for like two weeks,” He said without thinking too much about the sentence, only getting slightly worried when he saw Kanae’s eyes sparkle with a strange light and her brows quirk a little. 

“I heard you helped him get a job learning from a professional chef. How come?” She asked and Akira’s brain started working through the information, throwing unneeded excuses out of the window and gambling with the words left at his disposal. 

“Well, he was talking to me about how he wanted to help you out with the money, and try to get some working experience himself,” He started slowly, looking at the woman in front of him with a guarded expression. He saw her eyes soften and his shoulder slumped a bit in relief. 

She sighed, “He doesn’t need to, you know…” She shook her head while Akira took another bite of his sandwich, “I could handle this all myself, he should just focus on his studies, and make sure he’s getting good grades…” She trailed off, brushing her fingers through her hair and making her fringe stand in different directions. 

Akira deliberated on what to say next, “He told me he doesn’t want to hold you back. And I know he doesn’t, but he probably still wants to offer even the least bit of help he can.” He said slowly, looking at the raven in front of him. 

She grumbled, “I know, I just wish he didn’t still worry, we’re doing fine now, even more than,” She gestured with her hand around the room and Akira couldn’t help but agree with her on that. 

“Well, I’m sure this will make it easier for him to get a good job when he needs to find one.” 

“I hope,” She nodded. “And I’m proud of him, really. I guess I have to thank you and your cousin for helping him get this opportunity,” She smiled tentatively and Akira returned the gesture. 

“No need. It wasn’t a problem, and we were happy to help. And…” He trailed off, suddenly feeling unsure of himself. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll make sure he studies for his exams, when the time comes. I know I said I’m good at Japanese, but I’m not too shabby at other subjects, either.” He said and inclined his head, Kanae throwing her head back in a laugh. 

“That would help a bit, yes, thank you.” She gripped her pen and started collecting the papers thrown around her in a neat pile. 

She looked at him over the frame of her glasses, sizing him up and down, making the raven shift uncomfortably in his seat. “I think you’re a good influence on him. He has been smiling a lot more these past few days,” The colour in her eyes swirled around like melted gold and gratitude shined through. “Thank you.” 

She paused for a second. “You know… it probably isn’t my place to butt in your business… Ryuji mentioned your family is dealing with some money problems... and I’d love to help in some way.” She said and her eyes filled with worry. 

“Nah, that’s fine, but thank you,” he declined her offer politely, gently shaking his head. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable taking money from you, no matter how well you are doing financially.” 

He winced internally. _I wouldn’t have had any reservations two weeks ago._

Kanae nodded, not pressing the situation any further. “Well, if you ever need help, be sure to tell me. I’ll do everything in my power to help.” 

Akira smiled gently, swallowing the last of his sandwich. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in my mind. I see where Ryuji’s generosity comes from,” He added teasingly and the raven answered with a small smile. 

She leaned forward in her chair, leaning her head on her hands and looking at Akira with a joyful expression. 

“Now, why don’t you tell me what is… the deal with you two?” She raised her eyebrows and looked at Akira with a piercing stare that nailed him to the spot. 

“I- Don’t know what you’re talking about?” He said, more like a question and the woman blinked a few times before huffing out a breath. 

“No one tells me anything these days. Even Ryuji won’t talk about it. So irritating.” 

Akira wanted to ask her more, but Ryuji used this moment to enter the room with new clothes on, grinning like a maniac. 

“Sorry this took a while, were you two talking about me behind my back?” He said teasingly, but when he saw the startled Akira, his expression changed to one of confusion. 

“Whoa, I was just kidding… Mom, really?” He accusingly glared at Kanae and walked over to the counter, pouring himself a glass of water. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, dear, you know I’d never do that,” She pointed her finger at her son and Ryuji mock glared back at her from the opposite end of the table. 

“Rude. Unbelievable. My dearest mother, stealing my friend away from me, are you two in cahoots now?” He narrowed his eyes at Akira, while the raven tried to suppress a laugh. 

“Cahoots, really, Ryuji?” Akira grinned at him, standing up from the table. 

The blond shrugged his shoulders, wrapping his fingers around Akira’s wrist and pulling him with him. 

“C’mon, I was thinking of getting some ice cream, I’m craving some vanilla.” 

Akira snorted. “Vanilla ice cream? That’s the most primitive of ice cream flavours. I expected more from you,” He let himself get dragged from his spot and across the room. 

He felt the warmth from Ryuji’s hand travelling through his hand and electricity buzzed in his chest. 

Ryuji turned around to wave at his mother, before he turned the corner, Akira barely managing a goodbye and a quick glance towards the black haired woman still sitting in her chair, her eyes glittering with amusement. 

They put on their shoes and Ryuji practically skipped out of the house, throwing his hands in the air when the warm afternoon sun hit his face. 

Akira couldn’t help but stare at the boy in front of him. He inclined his head when he watched Ryuji close his eyes and smile into the sun. 

_Wow, I’ve got it bad. Can’t remember this being so awful the last time._

He cringed internally, before he stepped around the grinning Ryuji and started up the path towards the main street. 

“So you want vanilla? I’ll get cookie dough, then,” He said and pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Ryuji caught up to him in a matter of seconds, still grinning like a madman. 

“So, what did you two talk about?” The blond asked, gently bumping their shoulders together. 

Akira huffed out a breath, “Nothing important,” His features sobered up, “But, she did offer me and my family some money…” He said slowly and Ryuji slapped himself on the forehead, groaning. 

“Jeez, I told her not to worry, man, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to put you in a tough spot, I-“

Akira interrupted him with a raise of his hand, “Don’t worry about it. It’s no problem. She was actually really nice about it.” 

Ryuji’s shoulders relaxed, “Good. Sorry, it really wasn’t my intention.” He apologised again but shut up when he saw Akira smile at him while shaking his head. 

“It’s fine. Although you owe me an ice cream.” 

Ryuji snorted, “When did you decide that? 

“Just now. I guessed I could at least get something for your guilty conscience.” 

Ryuji bumped their shoulder together again, making Akira sidestep a bit and sending him in a fit of laughter. 

“Using my goodness against me. Shame.” 

Akira shrugged, “What can I say, I’m a Slytherin.” 

Ryuji narrowed his eyes. “You can’t use your Hogwarts house to justify your actions.” He thought for a second. “Although you really are a Slytherin. Ugh.” 

Akira made an indignant sound at the back of his throat, “Do you have something against Slytherins?” 

“They’re just so… sneaky. Such snakes.” 

Akira threw his hands up in the air, “Sorry, we can’t do this anymore, I’m breaking up with you.” 

Ryuji snorted, evading the street light on the sidewalk, “But on the other hand, you look a lot like Ha-“

“Ughh, don’t even mention it, I’ve had enough of Futaba throwing him in my face at any given time already, not you too.” He started whispering to himself in a loud enough voice that Ryuji could hear him, “New objective; find new friends. Store under; urgent.” 

Ryuji grinned and they both ordered their ice creams at the nearest shop. 

The continued chatting with each other and Akira took this time to look at the colour of Ryuji’s eyes. They were a different shade of brown as his mothers, but the way he moved his hands and smiled showed the resemblance between them and Akira couldn’t help but smile. 

A loud ringing brought him out of his thoughts and he saw Ryuji reach into his pocket to take his phone out. The blond frowned slightly when he read the ID. 

“It’s Shiho. I wonder what it is. She was supposed to be with Ann on a date today… Sorry, I’ll be quick,” He excused himself and the raven nodded, watching Ryuji answer his phone. 

“Hey, Shiho, yeah, I’m with- what’s wrong?” Akira saw the blond’s features change into ones of complete horror. His eyes bulged out and his hand dropped the ice cream cone, letting it crash on the ground and spilling on the concrete like trails of blood. 

“What?!” His voice cracked and Akira stepped in front of him, trying to catch his gaze, but Ryuji was stubbornly looking at the spilled ice cream in front of his shoes. “Where? Okay. I’m coming. Wait for me.” 

He pulled his phone away from his ear and he finally looked up at Akira. The raven would have been relieved, but he saw the blond’s eyes darken with a kind of terror he hadn’t seen before in the boy’s eyes. 

“Ryuji,” He gripped him by the shoulders, trying to get his attention, as the blond was only looking through Akira with an empty gaze. “What’s going on? Talk to me” 

Ryuji finally snapped out of his daze and properly looked at Akira. 

“It’s Ann. She got into an accident. She’s in the hospital.” 


	17. Chapter 17

Ryuji's head was spinning. He gripped the sides of his head with his hands and tried to calm his breathing, but it wouldn’t work. He shut his eyes tight and the backs of his eyelids erupted in a white light, panic overtaking his thoughts. 

_She can’t… No, no, no!_ He groaned and hung his head low, only hearing Akira’s voice in the back of his mind. 

“-Ji, Ryuji, goddamnit!” A strong palm hit his cheek and Ryuji’s eyes shot open. His vision wouldn’t clear and he only saw the black mop of hair and a glaring boy standing in front of him and breathing heavily. 

“Snap out of it!” The blond focused on the raven and he saw his intense eyes filled with worry. _Ouch. Fuck, that was a strong slap._

“Fuck.” He hissed when the burning from his left cheek made him glare at Akira, the raven looking unapologetic. 

“We gotta go, Ryuji, there’s no time for this,” Akira grabbed his hand and pulled him behind him, not looking back. 

“Right. Where are we going?” His mind was still reeling, but he could think more clearly, thanks to Akira’s bitch-slap. 

The black haired boy glanced over his shoulder to shoot a quick glare in the blond’s direction.

“To the train station. Did I guess correctly and she’s in the closest local hospital?” Ryuji nodded and Akira slowed down for Ryuji to catch up. The blond almost tripped over his own legs and Akira gripped his hand tighter, holding him as well as his mind upright. 

Akira nodded, “Alright, then we have a train heading in that direction in fifteen minutes. We’ll get there in time, if only you don’t trip and fall.” He said and then muttered, more to himself than to Ryuji, “if not, she won’t be the only one laying in a hospital bed.” 

Ryuji’s chest contracted at the sentence and he gripped Akira’s hand tighter, making the raven tense. He looked at him with his black eyes and cringed apologetically. 

“Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” 

Ryuji shut his eyes and shook his head furiously, before he picked up the pace, Akira following behind him. 

“No, you’re right. We gotta go,” his voice was strained and he made sure that it didn’t shake, his eyes trained on the street in front of them. He squeezed Akira’s hand in reassurance and he felt the other boy reply with a squeeze back. 

_You’re crazy if you think I’ll let go of your hand. Right now, it’s the only thing keeping me sane._ He thought wryly as his head filled with different memories of Ann and him laughing, her carefree smile making his eyes well up with tears. 

He could almost feel her lean body crushing him in a tight hug and his throat closed up at the thought of never hearing her laugh again. He couldn’t imagine a life where he wouldn’t be able to bring her to snort with laughter anymore, the unattractive sound she let out only when she was laughing with all her heart. 

He brought his free hand to his chest and gripped his shirt there, the fabric sliding along his torso and making him feel trapped. He could see the corners of his vision getting black again and he focused on Akira’s grip to shake off the intrusive thoughts. 

_Right now, I gotta get to the hospital. I’ve got Akira with me, everything will be fine._ He strengthened his clasp on Akira’s hand as their fingers instinctively intertwined, making it easier for them to run while holding hands. 

They got to the train station and they were both breathing heavily, as Akira checked the arriving trains on the board in front of their platform. 

The raven swirled around, “alright, it’ll be here in five minutes. We need to take a seat until then.” He said and led Ryuji to the bench and sitting him down. 

Ryuji closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, slowly letting out a breath and taking one in right after that, controlling the air. He felt Akira’s hand against his and they were sweaty and warm and Ryuji didn’t want to let go. Akira’s hand was the only anchor connecting him to reality right now. 

Akira didn’t try and touch him anywhere else and Ryuji was thankful for that, because he was sure that if Akira tried to hold him or hug him, he’d cringe away. He only held his hand firmly in his own, didn’t try to talk or soothe him in any way other than rubbing small, faint circles in the back of Ryuji’s hand with his thumb. 

The train came and Akira stood up, gently pulling Ryuji behind him. 

“Here we go, that's our train,” they stepped in and as the train doors closed behind them, they sat down on the seats. Thankfully, the train wasn’t that full so they didn’t have be squashed like sardines in the small car. 

Ryuji was still breathing heavily, but he felt like the initial panic had started wearing off and he could think at least semi-rationally for the time being. 

When they got to the hospital, the faint smell of disinfectant made Ryuji feel weak in the knees and he relied on Akira to drag him to the reception desk. 

The blond started looking around, only half-paying attention to the conversation Akira was having with the nurse behind the desk. 

“Our friend got in a car crash today, Ann Takamaki. My name’s Kurusu Akira and this is…”

His vision blurred again as he heard Akira talk about Ann and he tightened his grip on the raven’s hand. Akira looked at him with a closed-off stare. He gripped back in reply before returning to the conversation in front of him. Ryuji knew what that meant. _I’m here. Hold on._ He let out a slow breath and tried to calm down his racing heart. 

“Ah, yes, she got here about an hour and a half ago,” she smiled comfortingly at Ryuji and as she read the pain in his eyes she sighed, “don’t worry, she isn’t in any immediate danger, but she did get injured pretty badly. You won’t be able to see her for a while. The doctors are still checking up on her every fifteen minutes and making sure she is doing okay.” 

She looked at the back part of the room, towards the three elevators, “third floor, room number 317. Her girlfriend is also waiting in front of the door. She probably need your support right now.” She said softly and smiled at Akira. 

Ryuji’s clenching chest eased a bit, and he could breathe in a stream of cold air. _No imminent danger. Okay. That’s all I wanted to hear._ The raven-haired boy thanked the nurse while Ryuji only nodded in her direction, and they were already stepping towards the nearest elevator doors. 

As they stepped in, they were met with their reflections. They looked like ghosts. Both of them were pale and their hairs were a mess, pools of sweat gathering under their armpits and their clutching hands were somewhat shaking, but the blond couldn’t care less. 

Akira punched in the number of their floor and they leaned against the cold wall. 

Akira broke the silence with a sigh of his own. He turned his head towards the boy on his right and smiled tentatively. Ryuji noticed the way the corners of his eyes crinkled and how silver dots in his eyes swirled around under the artificial lighting. 

“D’you hear that? She’s fine. It’s okay,” Ryuji felt warmth spread over his left arm, where he was still holding Akira’s hand and worries plaguing his mind eased a bit more. 

“Yeah," he stepped out of the elevator with firmer steps and looked around. Two hallways were stretching on either side of them, the smell of alcohol and the whiteness of the walls making Ryuji dizzy. 

There were rooms on either side of the hallways, each holding a different number and the only thing preventing Ryuji from feeling even more claustrophobic was that the hallway was wide enough for five to six people to walk in a line, shoulder to shoulder. The small windows at the top of the walls were open, faint sounds of cars buzzing past the hospital sounding like static in Ryuji’s head. 

Akira pulled him forward, “let’s go left. The numbers are decreasing in that direction.” He nodded towards the left part of the hallway and they slowly walked along it. 

Ryuji would have missed the way the corridor took a right turn after a while because the white walls all made it seem like a dead end, but as they rounded the corner, Ryuji heard Akira gasp before he himself saw a lone figure sitting on a bench fifty feet ahead. He saw Shiho raise her head and Ryuji’s heart stuttered. 

He gripped Akira’s hand in reassurance before he let go of him and raced towards the black haired girl. Shiho stood up and her eyes were red from crying. He saw the trails her tears took over her cheeks and his heart clenched at the way she wailed softly, her face contorted in pain as she crashed into the boy. He held her tightly in his arms and he felt her take a stuttering breath, before crying into his shirt, clinging to the fabric for dear life. 

Ryuji closed his eyes and lowered his face to the top of her head, taking in the smell of her hair, now smelling like disinfectant from the hospital and a faint scent of something burning and Ryuji quickly raised his head, keeping away from the smell that made him want to hurl and maybe punch some faces. 

“Ryuji, I’m so glad you came,” she stuttered between breaths, and her small voice cracked under the pressure of her worries. She started hiccupping and Ryuji only stood there, holding her frail body in his arms and softly shushing her. 

When it looked like she calmed down a bit, Shiho slowly let go of his shirt and hiccupped, before glancing at the wet patch her tears made in the blond’s shirt. She cringed and looked at Ryuji, “sorry, I just-“

Ryuji shushed her and hugged her tightly again, “don’t worry about it, it’s fine. It’s okay. It’ll be okay.” 

He looked over her head and noticed Akira was already sitting at the bench Shiho had been previously occupying. He was sitting rigidly, his face trained on the door in front of him. His hands were clasped together as if in a prayer and his cheeks were unusually pale, his teeth worrying his bottom lip. 

Ryuji took Shiho’s hand and slowly led her towards the bench. He sat down in the middle, his and Akira’s knees touching in just one spot and anchoring Ryuji to reality. 

Akira looked at Shiho and nodded without words, and Shiho smiled tentatively, before she leaned her head on Ryuji’s shoulder. 

Now, the fabric of his shirt was clinging uncomfortably to Ryuji’s skin, but he paid it no mind. 

He gripped Shiho’s hand to get her attention. 

“What happened, Shiho? We gotta know,” he started and prayed that he didn’t just send Shiho towards the bad memories lane. 

The girl tensed, before she took a slow breath, still hiccupping. 

“We were- We were walking around near the shopping district, the- the one she likes to visit if she wants to look for new clothes, and she- I had to tie my shoelaces, so I stayed behind when she stepped on the crosswalk…” The raven-haired girl lowered her head in her hands and her shoulders shook as she started crying again. Ryuji took her forearm in his hands and comfortingly rubbed her skin. “A guy who was speeding, neared the corner and- and he…” 

She started crying again and Ryuji cursed under his breath. He hugged her over the shoulders and just let her cry in her hands. He noticed Akira rummaging through his pockets, and when he couldn’t find what he was looking for, he stood up and mouthed to Ryuji. _I’ll be back._ The blond nodded, returning his attention to the girl beside him. 

“Shh, sorry, it’s okay. You don’t need to talk. Sorry.” 

The girl shook her head and her body spasmed under the tension it has been holding on to. 

“I just- I was so- so scared, Ryuji… She just flew in the air and- and I was so scared…” She cried and Ryuji clung to her. He shut his eyes, trying not to think too much about the imagery of his friend being hit by a car. 

“Who’s the guy? Did he drive away?” He asked, trying to keep the hate out of his voice. He- surprisingly- managed, somehow, as Shiho sniffled and rubbed her eyes. 

“N-no. His car swerved and he hit a lamp post on the other side of the road… He’s doing worse than Ann, they said.” Her voice cracked and Ryuji more felt than saw Akira sit down next to him again. He looked at the raven. Akira was holding a crumpled up ball of toilet paper in his hands and was silently offering it to Ryuji with a nod towards the girl. 

Ryuji mouthed a thank you and accepted the paper, handing it to Shiho. She sniffled and took it, blowing her nose loudly. 

“Did you get to see her at all after it all happened?” Akira asked slowly, his voice lower than normal, but also considerably softer. Ryuji glanced in his direction before returning his gaze to the girl in question. 

She shook her head. 

“No, I- They let me drive with them in the ambulance. Then they checked up on me, to see if I had any injuries, and after they were done, I called you…”

Akira nodded, “the nurse at the front desk said she’s out of imminent danger.” Shiho nodded, blowing her nose in the toilet paper once again. 

“They said I can’t see her yet, because I’m not a family member, or her wife. But the doctor promised me she will be okay…”

Ryuji rubbed comforting circles in her back and Shiho seemed to be calming down by a minute. She sighed softly, laying down in Ryuji’s lap and tucking her feet at the end of the bench. She looked tired. 

The clock hanging on the wall behind them was ticking away quietly and Ryuji didn’t want to turn around to look at it. Time was passing slowly and if he paid it any more attention, he was sure the hands would start turning backwards. 

Sometime after, he noticed his left hand was very close to touching Akira’s, and he took a deep breath, before he bumped their palms together. Akira looked down at their laps and outstretched his hand for Ryuji to take. The blond quietly let out a calming breath. 

As much as he wished the touch of their hands to mean something more on any other day, right now, it only served as a reminder that Akira was here, and that he had his support if he started going into the deep end again. 

Shiho started breathing a lot more languidly and Ryuji figured she must’ve fell asleep. People were occasionally walking past them, some glancing at them before turning their heads back in front of them, some giving them comforting smiles, while for others they might as well not have existed at all. 

At that moment, Akira squeezed his hand to get his attention, “I was thinking of going to the café in the lobby and get us something to drink, what do you think,” the raven’s small smile and big eyes were the only familiar things to him besides Shiho in this place, and he was thankful for the way the boy's features reminded him of… home. Akira reminded him of home. His heart clenched, and he gave him a smile. 

“Sure. Get me a hot chocolate. I’ll pay you back later,” Akira waved dismissively in his direction and Ryuji smiled. 

“No need, you already paid for my ice cream.” 

Ryuji snorted, looking down at the floor. “And what an ice cream it was, huh?” He said bitterly, and he felt a slight press against his left shoulder. Akira was firmly gripping him, with an unwavering, but soft gaze. 

“Hey, it doesn’t matter. We’ll get another ice cream.” The raven smiled before turning on his heels and walking around the corner. 

He heard the faint buzz of cars from the window and he focused on it, before he noticed Shiho shifting in his lap. She lay down on her back, looking groggily at the blond above her. 

“Were you two on a date? Oh, Ryuji, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean-“ 

Ryuji interrupted her, “Hey, hey, calm down, what date? There was no date,” He felt his cheeks warming up slowly and he raggedly shook his head, “You heard what he said, right? It doesn’t matter. This is so much more important.” He said slowly and smiled down at Shiho. The girl was looking at him with widely open eyes, reading his expression. 

She relaxed in his lap and a calm expression took over her features. 

“You like him very much, huh?” She asked softly and Ryuji sputtered at her words, but the girl only continued on looking at him with her unjudging eyes. She wasn’t teasing him, he saw, she was just curious. 

Ryuji sighed, knowing there was no fighting her on this one. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, “can we not, about this, right now? It’s not really the perfect time _or_ place, for such statements, don’t you think?” 

Shiho gave him a small tired smile, before closing her eyes, “I know it’s just- a different topic, you know? I figured different topics would keep us… occupied, for lack of a better word.” 

Ryuji instantly felt guilty for shutting the girl down so quickly. _Fuck. Why am I such an asshole?_ But even then, he didn’t know what to say. So he only shook his head without saying a word. 

His eyes shot open when he heard the girl mutter, “but you didn’t deny it,” _and heeere's the teasing._

“Wow, so you know how I messaged you the other day that I fell down the stairs? My butt still hurts from that. I have like a big purple-ass butterfly-lookin’ bruise on my ass cheek.” Ryuji said, his mind not doing its job of filtering out sentences he definitely shouldn’t say to his best friend. 

The girl stared him with startled eyes, and after the confusion wore off, she snickered. 

“Pfft- Wow indeed,” she said and started laughing, the sound resonating around the hospital wing and startling some of the other people in the hallway. 

She continued on laughing, words spilling out in between her breaths, “A butterfly, oh my god, what a- pfft- a conversation turner,” tears were rolling down her cheeks and Ryuji fell into a fit of giggles with her, clutching his stomach with his arms. 

He saw Akira walking back down the corridor, which only made him laugh harder for some reason, and the raven-haired boy looked around as if he wasn’t really sure what to do in this situation. His eyes were asking if they’re okay, while his body was saying, _maybe we should run, C'mon, brain, we don’t know them._

He carefully stepped over to them and placed two bottles of water on the bench. His left hand seemingly wanted to hand Ryuji his drink, but the raven decided against it because of how much the blond was shaking with laughter. He was also carrying two other cups in his other hand, and he placed all of the containers next to the laughing couple of dimwits in front of him. 

He smiled and his eyes sparkled with amusement, “did I miss something?” Shiho only started laughing harder, trying to sit up from her position in Ryuji’s lap. 

“The- Ahahahaha Ryuji has a but- a butterfly on his ass,” She said while laughing and Akira frowned at the newfound information. 

“You-What?” Ryuji tried to calm his laughter, but the confused looking shell-of-a-man in front of him only spurred him on, and Akira sighed with an exasperated look and sat down next to them, opening one bottle of water. 

He waited in complete silence for the pair to calm down and after they did (only a few chuckles left escaping them with every other breath), he handed Ryuji his cup and waited for Shiho to sit up properly. 

“I didn’t want to bother you and ask what you wanted, so I bought you tea,” he said to Shiho, handing her the purple paper cup, “it’s chamomile.” He added and Shiho hummed with a thankful smile. 

They sipped their drinks in silence and Ryuji was positively surprised when the hot chocolate didn’t taste like water. He was used to the vending machines and drinks without taste from hospitals, and by the way Akira looked at his cup with a surprised expression, his drink must’ve tasted better than expected, too. 

Shiho brought her legs up on the bench and was hugging them with one hand. With the other, she was sipping the tea with quiet slurping sounds and Ryuji couldn’t help but smile at the sight. 

He couldn’t see what he did to deserve such good friends, and the calm that lay over the group managed to rip the worried thoughts for Ann out of his brain and chuck them into the moving traffic outside the hospital. His quiet thoughts were interrupted by a chime from Akira’s phone. 

The raven fished it out of his pocket, glancing apologetically towards the pair. 

“Sorry, it’s Futaba. I’ll only be a second,” he said and Shiho smiled at him while Ryuji only gave him a thumbs up in reply. 

“Hi, Futaba. Yeah, I am. No, nothing’s wrong, it’s…” The raven glanced carefully towards the door in front of them, the number 317 glaring at him. “It’s Ann. She got into a car accident. Yeah, she’s fine. Mhm. I’ll be a while. Okay. I will. Thanks. Tell Sojiro not to worry. Thanks. Take care, bye.” 

He punched a button on his screen and pocketed his phone once again. 

Ryuji was looking at him with a sideways glance, “was she worried?” 

Akira snorted, “Yeah, she tracked my phone and found out I was in a hospital, freaked out and called me. She shouldn’t have been snooping around my phone, anyways. Serves her right.” He said decidedly and Ryuji snickered, taking another sip of hot chocolate. Then he sobered up and looked at Akira with a serious expression. 

“You know, you could go home. I’m sorry I dragged you with me. If you have other things to do, it’s fine,” He said, but Akira only shook his head before glaring at the blond like he just stole a lollipop from him. 

“Not a chance in the world, Ryuji,” he said softly and the blond had to tear his gaze away from the raven. He nodded and looked down in his lap. 

“Well, thanks.” He said quietly and Akira only hummed in response. 

So they continued on sitting in front of the door 317, and Ryuji was getting more and more jittery. The same doctor had been coming to check up on Ann every fifteen minutes, and the first time, she only smiled at them. After the fifth time she came out of the room, Ryuji jumped to his feet and stepped in the doctor’s way. 

“Hey, how’s she doing? You haven’t told us anything yet,” he said more accusingly than he intended at first, but it seemed to have worked, because the doctor stopped in her tracks, a surprised expression fleeting over her face. 

She grabbed her brown hair tied in a braid and threw it over her shoulder, before regarding the trio with a strained smile. 

“Your friend is doing okay. Or, as okay as possible, in her case.” She looked uncomfortable for a second. “She has suffered two broken ribs, a broken pelvis and a broken arm. No concussions, thankfully, and she is sleeping soundly, for now. When she wakes up, that’s when the injuries will start hurting.” 

Ryuji heard a jagged gasp from behind him, and he saw Shiho was clutching Akira’s arm in a steely grip and she was looking at the doctor with worry in her eyes. 

The woman seemed to notice her fear, and her eyes lost the professionalism in them. 

“She’ll be okay. She was very lucky not to suffer any head injuries. We will keep her on watch in this room for another three weeks, after that, she can go home.” Her voice was soft and had a soothing effect on Ryuji’s mind. 

She looked at her wristwatch, “She has been asleep for three hours now. I guess I can allow you to go in and see her,” she said and Shiho and Akira jumped to their feet. 

The doctor stopped them with raising her hand, “but, keep any food or liquids,” she nodded towards the cups in the group’s hands, “away from her. I’ll come and check up on her in three hours again. Take care until then,” She nodded and walked away, the flat heels of her shoes clicking on the tiled ground. 

Ryuji looked at Shiho and Akira before hurriedly opening the door and swinging it wide open. 

He heard Shiho hiss behind him, “Ryuji! Be careful!” But didn’t dwell too much on it. He saw a room with two beds, one unoccupied, while on the other, Ann was laying down, a tube sticking out her arm and her torso wrapped up in bandages. 

She was breathing heavily, but without the help of a mechanical ventilator. He huffed out a breath and they all stepped in, cups of drinks forgotten and Akira carrying the plastic bottles of water with him. 

Shiho stumbled forward and practically threw herself in the chair closest to the blonde sleeping in the bed. She gripped her hand with both palms and laid her head at the blonde’s side. 

She looked about ready to start crying again, and Ryuji decided to step next to her and grip her shoulder momentarily in reassurance before taking a seat on the opposite end, Akira following behind him. 

“God, she looks so… lifeless,” Shiho sniffed. Ryuji’s heart ached at the uttered words. 

It was true. Ann’s hair was flowing all around her, splayed on the white hospital pillow, and her face looked as ghostly white as the walls inside the room. If she weren’t breathing as soundly as she was, Ryuji would be panicking right about now. 

They sat like that in silence, and Ryuji found himself holding Akira’s hand again. He found calming pleasure at the simple touch, and he could feel himself getting sleepier, the motions of Akira’s thumb against the back of his hand matching the rhythm of Ann’s loud breathing. He looked at the girls in front of him, and saw Shiho had already fallen back asleep, her black hair a startling contrast against the white sheets. 

“I should phone my mom,” Ryuji started softly. Akira turned his head to look at him, but Ryuji refused to meet his gaze, “to tell her what happened.” Akira nodded and Ryuji pulled out his phone and called his mom. 

It rang three times before his mother picked up. “Hello, honey, what is it?” Ryuji almost melted at the sound of his mother’s voice, so mundane and without worries. Of course, he was going to interrupt that peace now, but it still calmed him down. 

“Hey mom, um…” _Jesus Christ, how do you tell your mother you’re in a hospital?_ “I’m at the hospital.” Huh. Seems you do it like that. He waited for a few beats of silence, trying to picture the face his mom was making right now. 

“WHAT?” Her voice grew in pitch and Ryuji took precaution in leaning away from the speaker. “What happened?!” 

“Okay, calm down, I’m okay. Akira is okay too, it’s actually Ann. She got into an accident, but she’s fine,” he hurried with explaining and calmed his mother down just a bit. 

When he told her of the injuries Ann suffered and how it happened, the woman drew in a shocked breath. He explained to her that she will be staying in for another three weeks, and Kanae stayed quiet and listened without interrupting. When Ryuji finished, she sighed. 

“Okay, honey. How are you doing?” She asked pointedly and that took Ryuji off guard. 

“I-I’m fine. Why? It was Ann who got into an accident.” 

“Yes, but you always worry so much for her, I can’t imagine how it must’ve been for you.” Then she whimpered quietly, “how is poor Shiho holding up? Oh, I can’t imagine the strain this brought on her…” She started rambling and Ryuji cut her off. 

“Hey, we’re okay. Ann is okay, so we’re okay too. Don’t worry, but I will probably be a bit late with coming home today. I just wanted to let you know.” 

Kanae huffed out a breath and Ryuji could practically see her rubbing her temples and scowling. 

“Okay. Next time you go see her, take me with, will you?” 

Ryuji smiled, “Alright, will do.” 

“Okay, honey. Until then, eat something, and drink enough water. The hospital can’t have their visitors fainting all over the place from dehydration.” 

“Akira already brought us hot chocolate, so we’ve got it covered.” He rolled his eyes and saw Akira looking at him with an amused glint in his eyes. 

The woman on the other end let out a relieved sigh, “thank heavens for that boy, you hear me? Don't let him get away, okay?" Ryuji looked at his lap with a startled expression. “Okay. Then I’ll see you later. Take care, love. Say hi to Shiho and Ann for me. And Akira, although I’ve seen him today already.” 

“Okay. Bye, mom.” 

“Bye, honey.” 

Ryuji cut off the connection and huffed. 

Akira wore a slight smirk on his lips, “She sounded demanding,” Ryuji groaned and stood up, stretching his limbs. Shiho was still sound asleep next to her other half, and Ryuji cringed at how her back will probably hurt after she wakes up. 

“I’m going to the bathroom. Gotta take a piss I’ve been holding out on for the past hour.” 

Akira nodded, “want me to come with you?” he asked carefully and Ryuji sensed a worried tilt to the boy’s voice. 

He turned around and smirked, “Nah, no need. You don’t need to babysit me.” He joked and saw Akira grinned back, a playful light taking place instead of worry in his eyes. 

“I was actually counting on seeing the butterfly on your ass,” the raven said and Ryuji’s saliva almost went down the wrong pipe. 

“Pfft, you wish, smooth boy,” he decided to go along with the joke and Akira bemusedly shook his head. 

“Am I ever even going to find out what the hell that was about?” 

Ryuji grinned, before opening the door and stepping outside, leaving a smiling Akira behindwithout an answer. 

He stepped into the corridor and looked on both sides, searching for a sign indicating a toilet in any kind of vicinity. He started walking down the corridor and after turning another corner, he got to the toilets and stepped in. 

After exiting the toilets again, he walked around the corner, only to find himself almost lying flat on his back because of a small body running into him full force and knocking the wind out of his lungs. 

He clasped the small being’s shoulders and kept the girl steady, as it looked like she was going to fall on her behind too. 

“Woah, there, be careful.” 

The girl looked around eight years old, two pigtails bouncing on each side of her head. Her round brown eyes were looking at Ryuji with a surprised expression, and she was dressed in a pink skirt, paired with a yellow T-shirt with a blue flower drawn in the middle. She was practically bouncing on her legs and Ryuji was surprised at the amount of energy the kid exuded. 

“Sorry, mister,” She said, not at all worried about the possibility of her almost running down a person twice her size. 

“No problem, just be careful when running around corners, okay? You could get seriously hurt,” He grinned at the girl while the child only blinked up at him. 

“What’s your name, mister?” She asked and Ryuji threw her a confused glance. 

“I’m Ryuji. What’s your name?” 

“I’m Aiko,” She proudly pointed at her chest and the corners of Ryuji’s mouth quirked up unintentionally. 

“Nice to meet you, Aiko. What’re you doing here?” He asked and the jittery child seemed to stop only for a second. 

“My sister’s sick, so me and my mommy come see her on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Today’s a Thursday,” She said matter-of-factly, and Ryuji’s heart swelled up. 

“Oh, yeah? How old is your sister?” 

“She’s thirteen, she’s my big sister,” the girl beamed at the blond and Ryuji smiled back. 

“She’s a very strong sister, then. Big sisters are awesome.” He said and sat down on the bench. _I can make some time to talk to her. She looks a bit… lonely._

“Do you have a big sister too?” 

Ryuji smiled, “Nah, I don’t. But I have a friend, who’s like a big sister. She always nags me and tells me to shut up.” 

He saw Aiko’s eyes brighten, “that’s what Mie does too! I always act like I’m mad at her after, and then she hugs me and we make up!” 

Ryuji grinned, “Hugs’re the best way to make up,” he agreed and the girl nodded excitedly. 

“Why are you here, mister?” She leaned her head on the side, and Ryuji’s mind flashed to Ann, laying in a bed, looking like a corpse. 

“I uh-“ he cleaned his throat, ”the friend I was talking about got in a car crash. She’s here right now,” he said and the girl seemed to still. Then she pouted and looked away. 

“Will she get better?” 

Ryuji nodded, “yes, she will. In a month, she will.” 

The girl beamed, smiling at Ryuji, her front teeth missing. 

“That’s good!” 

Ryuji smiled and then looked around. “Where is your mom, then, Aiko? Did you run away?” 

Aiko shook her head furiously, “nuh-uh!” 

The blond looked at her with a reprimanding stare, seeing the mischief flashing in the girl’s eyes. 

“You wouldn’t lie, would you?” He asked slowly with a joking undertone. 

The girl shook her head again, jumping on the bench Ryuji was sitting on and grabbing his shoulder. 

“Nuh-uh!” She laughed with glee and then stopped to sit down next to the blond boy, “mommy was angry with the doctor, so I went away. I don’t like it when mom argues,” she pouted again and Ryuji’s expression became more serious. 

“What were they arguing about?” He asked slowly, trying not to pry too much. 

“Mommy says we don’t have enough money, so the doctor can’t help Mei,” the girl sighed and Ryuji’s heart sank. “But she says it will be okay! We just have to try,” the girl beamed at the blond, and his stomach dropped as well.

He heard the faint clicking of heels nearing the corner, and in the next moment, a woman in her thirties showed up. 

She was wearing a simple black cardigan with jeans and black shoes with a flat heel. She had dark brown hair reaching her shoulders, and there were worry lines apparent at the corners of her mouth and on her forehead. Because of that she looked ten years older. 

She sighed when she saw the grinning Aiko sitting beside Ryuji, and relief washed over her face. A moment later, she looked at Ryuji and the boy’s heart clenched when he looked at them. They were the same golden brown shade of eyes his mother had, and Ryuji blinked a number of times to get the imagery out of his mind. 

The woman carefully stepped up to them, looking Ryuji up and down. 

She nodded, before turning towards Aiko. 

“Aiko, I’ve been looking for you all over the place,” she sighed exasperatedly and leaned down to smooth the girl’s hair, “I’ve been worried sick,” she muttered. 

“Mommy, I met this mister! His name is Ryuji! He has a friend who is like his sister!” Aiko giggled and Ryuji cautiously looked at the woman in front of him. 

The mother was apparently assessing the situation as well. She inclined her head, but then decided to smile down at her daughter nonetheless. 

“That’s nice, honey, I hope you didn’t cause any problems, hmm?” She asked jokingly and her daughter giggled, her ponytails whipping around her face as she shook her head in reply. 

“I’m Ryuji. She- kinda ran into me and we met at the corner,” the blond decided on introducing himself and he chuckled lightly. 

The mother huffed out a breath, seemingly sheepish. 

“I’m sorry, she always seems to run off,” she extended her arm and Ryuji shook it. “I’m Emiri.” She turned towards her daughter, taking her hand in her own. “Now, say goodbye, Aiko, we need to get back to Mie.” 

Aiko pouted before waving at Ryuji. The blond waved back, but in a moment of insanity, he jumped to his feet. 

“Wait!” The pair turned around and Emiri looked at him with a confused expression. “I, uhm- I mean… Aiko… told me about you not having a lot of money. I was thinking if I could help?” He cringed internally. _Way to go, add that to your list of pick-up lines, why dontcha?_ The mother frowned slightly and pulled Aiko slightly behind herself. 

Ryuji couldn’t help but smile on the inside at the mother’s instinct. They didn’t know each other. _It doesn’t matter what I offer her, she’ll protect her child first._ His core warmed at the realization and the feeling that he wasn’t making a mistake multiplied. He hurried on with explaining. 

“You see, my mom and I didn’t have a lot of money at first too, and she was doing a lot to keep us alive,” he started fumbling with the edge of his shirt, but he saw the mother’s eyes melting a bit by his words. “But now, she made it. And we have a lot of money, so… would you maybe consider taking some of my money to help with your daughter?” He asked slowly, hoping he used the right words to convince her. 

Emiri looked at Ryuji with those golden brown eyes, and she smiled softly at him, before turning her gaze towards the girl holding her hand.

Aiko was looking from Ryuji to her mother with a confused expression and Emiri reached out her other hand to caress her daughter’s head. 

“I- That’s very nice of you, but- I wouldn’t feel comfortable taking money from a stranger,” she said softly, looking back at Ryuji. The boy sighed and looked down at his shoes, before smiling at Aiko and her mother. 

“You sure I can’t give you some money? I’d be happy to help, and I’m sure my mom would yell at me if I didn’t offer,” he asked jokingly. 

The mother shook her head lightly, “no, thank you. You taking your time to talk to Aiko was payment enough. But, I hope we see each other again. Take care,” she waved at the boy and the pair turned around, the smaller figure skipping along her mother’s side. 

Ryuji sighed and waited a few moments before rounding the corner himself and walking towards Ann’s room. When he stepped in, he saw Ann and Shiho were still sleeping, while Akira was looking over them, drinking water from his bottle. When he heard the door opening and closing, his eyebrows shot up and he regarded Ryuji with an amused expression. 

“You really were holding that in for an hour if it took you so long to get it all out,” he smirked and Ryuji grinned before taking a seat next to the raven. 

Akira offered him his bottle of water and Ryuji gladly took it, taking a few gulps of water.

Akira smirked, "oh, C'mon, you gotta drink a bit more, since you just emptied your whole reservoir of water."

“Har, har, har, you’re so funny,” he said mockingly before schooling his features. “I actually ran into a small girl on my way back, her name’s Aiko.” He said solemnly and Akira looked at him with an open expression of interest. 

“Her… sister is sick, and her mother doesn’t have enough money to pay for the expenses, at least, that’s what I’ve gathered. I offered her my mother to pay for them, but… she didn’t want to take the money.” 

Akira stayed silent, and Ryuji was grateful for the quiet of the room. 

Time started flowing again, and Ryuji felt himself slipping away with every moment. When his head almost hit Akira’s shoulder, he snapped up and fished out his phone to look at the time. 

He cursed silently and noticed Akira was already sleeping, his neck bent in an unnatural position that made Ryuji cringe. He lightly shook him awake and the boy quickly opened his eyes. 

He looked at Akira and his gaze lowered, taking in the sight of his hands. His heart almost stopped when he saw red moon-shaped dents at the back of the raven's right hand. 

He shot from his spot and startled the other boy, kneeling in front of him and taking the hand in his own.

"Oh, fuck, Akira, I'm so fucking sorry, I didn't know I was hurting you, why didn't you sa-"

He started rambling and Akira's left hand shot out to cover Ryuji's mouth. That shut him up, but he couldn't shake the guilt welling in his gut.

 _I did this, I hurt him, I hurt him-_ "Hey, I know what you're thinking, stop it. It's fine. They're just small dents, it doesn't even hurt," the raven assured him, but Ryuji only glared at him, Akira's hand still covering his mouth. The boy sighed exasperatedly.

"I'm serious, don't worry about it, or I'm punching you," he withdrew his hand and Ryuji glared at his fingernails.

"That would at least make us even," Ryuji grumbled but dropped the subject. _I'll just hafta make sure it heals properly._

“It’s already half-past eight, we should probably go.” Akira nodded and stood up, stretching his limbs. Ryuji stepped over to Shiho and gently shook her shoulder. She jolted awake and in the next moment, she groaned, hunching over, her back cracking in the process. 

“Hey, Shiho, it’s time to go. You can come and see her again tomorrow, okay? I don’t want to leave you here alone.” 

She groaned again and reached out to touch Ann’s face, before she turned around, nodding with a sad expression. 

“I just… I hoped she'd wake up,” she sighed and Ryuji took her hand in his own. 

“I know. And she will, trust me. She just needs to rest a bit more,” he said and they exited the room, the bright white walls making them all squint. When they stepped through the main entrance, the sun had already set and only a small part of the sky was still being illuminated by the faint white glowing. 

They took the train, Shiho saying goodbye to them at her platform and tiredly walking towards her home. 

Ryuji stared at her back as long as he could, and after the train started moving again, he moved his head to look at his hands, clasped in his lap and he sighed. 

“I’m beat.” 

Akira hummed next to him, “You’ll be home soon enough. After you get home, just go straight to sleep,” he chuckled, brushing his fingers through his curls. Ryuji followed the motion, too tired to move his gaze away. He blinked a few times to make his mind clear up a bit. 

“Hey, uh… you think you could come with? I don’t think I can go to sleep even if I am dead tired, with how stressed I am feeling.” 

Akira shot him a sideways glance, before worrying his bottom lip and looking straight ahead. Ryuji noticed Akira biting his lip a lot lately, and he figured it was some kind of an anxiety driven movement. 

The raven-haired boy nodded, “sure, we can do that. I’ll just message Futaba so she doesn't worry.” He snorted, “although, I guess she can just look at the tracker she has on my phone and see that I’m at your place.” 

Ryuji grinned, his eyelids more and more insistent on staying closed. 

“Hey.” He got Akira’s attention, and he smiled at him with a grateful expression, “thanks.” 

Akira smiled back, “Anytime.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any medical inaccuracies, I just wanted Ann to survive as realistically as possible with my _extensive_ knowledge of first-aid XD  
>  You know your girl doesn't have big enough brain to become a med student lol  
> But yeah, I think this is one of my favourite chapters yet?? I think??  
> I don't know, you tell me, I'm still learning.  
> I hope you liked it and that you're having a good day!  
> Potato, out


	18. Chapter 18

Ryuji sighed, flipping through sheets of notes and subconsciously tapping his leg against the tiled floor. 

“What are you so nervous about?” Ann croaked from her hospital bed. 

Ryuji glanced up, taking in her form. She still looked ghostly pale, her hair now done in a gentle braid. _Must be Shiho’s work._ The machine next to her was beeping, setting a calming rhythm in the room. 

“Ahh, It’s… nothin’,” He scratched his neck and awkwardly shuffled on his chair. He looked up at the blonde, who was staring at him through narrowed eyes. 

He sighed, “it’s information I gotta learn for infiltrating Watanabe’s house. I already learned everything about my alias, but a few days ago, Futaba sent me a whole package of pictures of guards, security and other staff that works there. She said I have to learn their faces before going in because it will help me with identifying them.” 

Ann hummed quietly, her voice cracking. 

It had been a Saturday when she finally woke up, and Ryuji rushed to the hospital as soon as he heard the news. Shiho had been there at the time, and when the blond got there, she was already sleeping next to Ann, sprawled on the bed, their hands intertwined. 

The black-haired girl had been tired, only keeping an eye on her girlfriend with the last of her strength, and she blacked out as soon as the blonde had woken up. 

Ryuji took the girl home and told her to take some time off and sleep for the next couple of hours. Then he went back to the hospital, keeping Ann company. 

“For how long?” 

“I’ll work there for about two weeks, to gather information and whatnot.” He waved his hand, shooting the girl a crooked grin. He looked down at the papers, full of different faces, all around forty years old. 

“Do you need any help memorizing?” 

Ryuji shook his head, “Nah, I’m good, I actually learned them all already, I’m just going through them again. You know, to make sure.” 

Ann looked at the boy incredulously, carefully turning her head towards him, “You have already memorized them? You, Ryuji Sakamoto?” 

The blond looked at his best friend with an annoyed expression, “Yeah, okay? I did. This is serious stuff, I can’t go yodelling around the house knowing nothing about the residents that could potentially kill me.” He huffed out a breath. 

“Could potentially kill you?” Worry flashed in Ann’s eyes, “What did they get you into?” 

“Hey, hey, it’s fine, I volunteered to do this,” _Not exactly true, they did ask me to do this, but close enough._ “They’ll make sure nothing happens anyways, don’t worry your little head about me, Ann, you need to take care of yourself right now.” 

Ryuji looked at her sternly. Ann returned her gaze back to the stuffed bear on the bedside table, scrunching her eyebrows. 

“I still don’t like the idea of you getting into something so dangerous.” 

“I know, but I’ll be fine, I promise.” 

The blonde let out a controlled breath, “Alright, you better. If anything happens, know that the first person that I’m going after is Akira.” 

Ryuji looked down at his lap, “Don’t, it wouldn’t be his fault.” 

Ann’s eyes snapped back to the boy, “Yes, it would be. He promised me he would protect you.” 

“Huh? Protect me? I don’t need no protectin’,” Ryuji’s cheeks started warming up and he willed his body to relax. “And besides, a frog would be better at protecting me than that guy. Have you ever seen him fight? Me neither,” He shook his head. 

“That’s because he can’t. He’s good at stealin’, but if you placed a garden fork in front of him and told him to use it as a weapon, he’d be more likely to step on it and knock the living daylights out of himself than use it to fend off enemies.” He chuckled more to himself than to anyone else and noticed Ann looking at him silently, a veil of apprehension coating her blue eyes. 

“What’s going on between you two anyway?” She asked, clear interest written on her face. 

Ryuji snorted, “there’s nothing going on,” he shifted in his seat. “Or at least, nothing tangible.” Ann patiently waited for him to continue and Ryuji huffed out a breath. 

He never really felt comfortable talking about these topics. They always felt too fragile for him to talk about so openly as if everything would turn to dust as soon as he said something about them. Even then, it made him jittery talking about it, even though it was Ann. 

He felt like he was breaking a code by speaking about it because it really only involved him, and Akira. No one else needed to know anything about it, because they would only be butting in on a business that wasn’t theirs. 

He huffed out a breath. He knew he wasn’t being completely fair. 

Even though Ann would sometimes borderline force him to talk about his feelings, he knew she would only be as pushy as he let her. Having the privilege of being his best friend, she could always get exceptionally far, and he couldn’t exactly say it didn’t feel reassuring to be able to talk openly about his emotions with someone just listening to him. 

“I don’t really know what to tell you. Since the night at Haru’s house, everything’s been just like before, nothing new.” 

The girl inclined her head in thought, “have you guys talked about it?” 

“Nah, we haven’t. I feel like I’m making a mountain out of a molehill, thinking about all this too much.” 

The blonde pouted, clearly not content with his answer, “Well, what do you want to happen?” 

Ryuji startled, snapping his eyes up to look at his friend. She was smiling gently, her hands tucked under the white covers, blue eyes hiding a hint of mischief. 

“I- I don’t fucking know, sheesh…” He willed the blood rushing to his cheeks to let up, “stop asking me such questions, you know I ain’t that smart.” 

Ann shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, appearing uninterested as she picked up the stuffed bear and wrapped her arm around it. The cords connecting her arms to the beeping machines and the intravenous fusion wiggled dangerously before she settled under the bedcovers. 

She couldn’t lay down on her side, because of the broken pelvis preventing her from turning, and it hurting as all mighty fuck, as she had eloquently put it when Ryuji had first stepped into the room. 

“Do you like the idea of kissing him?” She asked, watching his every move with the corner of her eye. The blond took in a sharp breath of surprise. 

_There’s no way I’m getting out of this one, is there?_ “I wouldn’t detest it…” He started and Ann scowled. 

“Not good enough. Would you like holding his hand?” 

Ryuji’s mind flashed back to Thursday, when he was clutching Akira’s hand for his dear life in this exact room, in this exact chair. 

“Yes,” he breathed out, and Ann smiled triumphantly. 

“Go on a date?” 

Ryuji scowled, “that’s all too soon, Ann, lay off. I don’t even know if he likes me that way or not.” 

Ann blinked a few times, seemingly releasing her grip. “Alright, alright, I’m sorry. Didn’t want to push you too much, I just thought it would be easier to talk about it with someone.” 

“Yeah, I know. It’s just kind of a sensitive topic at the moment,” He sighed, rubbing his weary eyes. 

“Alright, I get it,” she let the silence stir for a while, before gently continuing. “If it helps any, I think he cares about you. A lot. You’ll have to find out if he likes you in that way, but I have a feeling you have a shot at this.” 

Ryuji hummed, smiling gently. “Thanks, Ann,” for a moment, dread raced through his bones like a plague. “Geez, I don’t know what I’d do if you’d have…” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence, so he closed his eyes tight, sparks flashing before his eyes. 

He shook his head to get rid of his thoughts and Ann’s shushing brought him back to reality. 

“Hey, don’t worry, that didn’t happen,” She shot a cheeky grin his way, “It’d take a lot more to get rid of me. You know, I’m like a stubborn stain.” 

Ryuji scoffed before sobering up, “Thank God for that,” he looked at the girl lying in the hospital bed, hoping his eyes would get his thoughts across. 

“You know, if you could learn anything from what happened to me, it would be that it’s stupid to worry about such things. Just… ask him out, or tell him how you feel. Don’t make it into such a big deal. 

“I did that with Shiho, and look how much longer it took us to get to where we are now. I could have had the privilege of being her girlfriend years before, but I was overthinking things and making everything a lot more complicated than it actually was.” 

Ryuji sighed wearily, “you know, I get it. But at the same time, I don’t want to lose the friendship we have.” 

“If he doesn’t feel the same way, and you two grow distant because of that, then I think it just wasn’t meant to be. Or if he can’t get over the fact that you find him hot and alienates himself, then he isn’t worth it. He isn’t worth you.” 

“But you know, that’s just the thing. He is worth it. If I fucked everything up, it wouldn't really matter to me if it was meant to be or not,” Ryuji repeated after Ann, “I’d still lose him. No matter how you look at it, I would end up without him in my life.” He sighed, taking his face in his hands. 

He heard his friend shift in her bed, “I’d really like to tell you to confess, to at least do it for me, your recently crippled friend,” she started, a gentle, but joking lilt to her voice, “But I understand. Maybe just keep testing the waters, then. See how far you can push him. That sounds safe, right?” 

“Right. Thanks,” Ryuji smiled, trying to brighten up, even though he felt like the world was contracting around him and trapping him in one spot right at the core of his body. 

Ann smiled back, and Ryuji relaxed, taking his notes back in his hands. 

“On second thought, I guess you could try and help me with these. I’ll hold the faces up to you and you describe them as best as possible. I’ll then identify them.” Ann nodded, clutching the bear in her not-broken arm and turning her head to look at the pictures. 

“When are you starting this mission anyway?” Ann asked between describing the faces and praising Ryuji for easily recalling their names and occupations. 

“Uh, actually, I’m going in tomorrow,” he scratched his neck and Ann gasped in surprise. 

“Already?” She huffed before focusing back on a face of a woman. "Well then, I guess it’s a good thing you’ve learned these already. I still can’t believe you didn’t procrastinate until the last minute like you do with exams.” 

“Well, I wouldn’t like failing this mission. If I fuck up, it won’t be only my future on the line. Wouldn’t want to drag Akira and Futaba down with me, y’know?” A chime from his phone alerted him of a new text message. 

He opened up the screen, and his lips stretched out in a goofy grin. _Speak of the devil_.

 **Akira:** Hey, could you come by my house today? Futaba and I want to run things by you one last time, just to make sure. 

**Ryuji:** Works for me. Would it be okay around six? At the hospital rn, keeping Ann company. 

**Akira:** Of course, tell her hi for me! I hope she’s doing okay. Well, see you then. 

**Ryuji:** Will do, cya ☜(⌒▽⌒)☞

The blond pocketed his phone again, Ann looking at him expectantly. 

“It was Akira. He says hi. Also, I’m going to his later today. Told him I’d come a bit later, since I’m here with you,” he threw her a cheeky grin and he was sure if Ann had been in better condition, she would have slapped him at that moment. 

“Ryujiii, you know I’d totally be fine even if you went right now, right?” 

He waved his hand dismissively, “Sure I do, but that doesn’t change the fact that Shiho would have skinned me alive if I did that,” He answered, leaving no room for arguments. 

The girl must’ve noticed that, because she only turned her head and pouted, the lower lip sticking out as if she was a five-year-old. 

They spent quite a lot of time like this, their talking sometimes disrupted by a nurse coming in to check on Ann, or a comfortable silence settling between the pair. 

When the doors opened up again, it wasn’t a doctor or a nurse standing in the entrance, but Shiho. Ryuji stood up, not pleased at the sight of the girl. The bags under her eyes made her look sickly, and the bird’s nest that was her hair didn’t really help her case. 

“Shiho, what are you doing here already, I told you to get some sleep,” Ryuji frowned, his eyes following his friend’s form, as she sat down on her respective chair, right next to Ann. 

“I got enough sleep already, Ryuji, I’ll be fine. I said I’d be back as soon as possible,” Shiho answered, her eyes practically glued together. 

She gave the blond girl a chaste kiss on the lips, Ann’s eyes widening and her mouth forming a faint smile as she watched her girlfriend lower her head on the bed and start dozing off. 

Ryuji snorted and shook his head, while Ann only threaded her fingers gently through the raven-haired girl’s hair. 

“Pshh, you sicken me, what is this?” Ryuji joked, while Ann only stuck out her tongue. 

“It’s affection, but not that you’d know,” she shot back, “You’re just jealous, that’s it,” Ann grinned at the blond, her hand stopping on her girlfriend’s head to only lay there. 

Ryuji grinned after clutching his heart in mock hurt, and they continued talking in hushed tones, sometimes having to stifle laughter so as not to wake up Shiho. 

The seconds turned into minutes and those into hours when Ryuji looked at the clock hanging on the wall. It was already 5 pm. Ann must’ve noticed his movement because she followed his gaze and nodded. 

“Go on, I’ll be fine.” 

Ryuji shuffled on his feet, looking worriedly at his best friend. The blonde smiled at him, her white teeth showing. 

“You sure? I can stay here for a bit longer, you know.” 

Ann huffed, looking fondly down at Shiho’s sleeping form. 

“I’ll be fine I’ve got everything I need,” she glanced back up with a cheeky smile, “Not that I don’t need you, but you’ve been here for the past couple of hours, and I’ve been kind of getting tired of seeing your face.” 

Ryuji shook his head, stepping over to the girl’s bed to say goodbye, before scrunching his eyebrows together. 

“Have your parents called yet? God, did anyone tell them? They must be scared out of their minds…”

Ann nodded, “yeah, Shiho called them right after the accident. When I woke up, the first thing she did was press her phone against my ear, and I had to listen to Mom and Dad ranting for half an hour. It was really hard to convince them not to hop on the nearest flight back here,” she waved her hand. “Now go, Akira won’t wait forever, you know.” 

Ryuji smiled affectionately, “yeah, yeah,” he was already half out of the door, when he turned around, to look at the blonde one last time. “And Ann, thank you. You don’t know how scared I was.” 

“I’m sorry. Didn’t want to make you worry… I’m glad I’m your friend.” 

Ryuji nodded one last time, their eyes connecting and finishing the conversation for them. 

He walked to the station, burying his face in the sides of his black leather jacket. 

When he arrived at the café, Akira was already standing in front of the entrance, his eyes hidden behind the rim of his glasses. He waved at the blond and stepped closer, meeting him halfway. 

“Hey, how’s Ann doing? I didn’t want to cut in on your time with her, I’m sorry,” The raven chuckled, awkwardly running his fingers through the thick curls. 

“Nah, don’t worry about it. She’d been sick of me for a while,” Ryuji joked, “but yeah, she’s doing fine. Not dying anytime soon, at least." He frowned and Akira answered in a slight smile, turning his head to the side. 

“Anyway, what’dya wanna talk about?” 

Akira snapped out of his reverie. He stood up straighter, which made him just a bit taller than Ryuji. 

“Right, well, I thought we could go to Futaba’s and run through everything one last time, just to be sure. Did you learn everything that Futaba sent you?” 

Akira started walking in the left direction, probably towards Futaba’s house. Ryuji followed behind him, humming in affirmation. 

“Yeah, I did.” 

“Good, ‘cuz I wouldn’t send you in if you didn’t,” Akira nodded, not looking behind his shoulder to see how Ryuji pouted before schooling his features. 

“Why not?” 

“It wouldn’t have been safe. Futaba will be able to explain a bit better,” Akira sidestepped to let Ryuji catch up to him, and they walked without talking for the rest of the way, stopping in front of a small house. 

“Well, this is it. Futaba must already know we’re here, she has cameras everywhere,” He walked up the stairs and the front door automatically opened, Akira giving Ryuji a meaningful glance before entering. 

“Hi, Futaba, we’re here!” Akira yelled into the dark hallway, while Ryuji looked around apprehensively. 

“I know!” Came the faint answer of the red-headed girl, and the boys followed the voice down the hallway to stop in front of a door plastered with keep out signs. 

_I honestly don’t know what to think about this,_ Ryuji shivered subconsciously, the dark hallway making him a bit anxious. As Akira opened the door, they were met with a sight of a room, only lit by blue and white computer screens, Futaba’s figure slouched in front of them, typing on two different keyboards at the same time. 

She whirled around and cackled. “Welcome to my domain!” She dramatically extended her arms and Ryuji huffed out a laugh as Akira sat down on her bed nonchalantly, gently slapping her arm in the process. 

“Quit it, you’re scaring him. Can’t say the dark hallway really helped. You could’ve just turned on the lights,” Akira huffed, smiling at his cousin. 

The girl whirled back towards the computer screens. 

“You’re lucky I didn’t make them flicker,” she started typing on the keyboard again, a line of different codes appearing on the main screen. 

Akira nodded towards the chair next to Futaba, indicating Ryuji to where he should sit. The blond stepped over a pile of crumpled chocolate wraps and whirled the chair around, sitting with his front towards Akira. 

“So… what do we need to do now?” He asked, glancing towards the girl, who was muttering something under her breath and not paying attention to him and Akira at all. 

“Well, you said you memorized everything, right? How about I test you?” 

Ryuji nodded, “Alright, we can do that. I actually have everything with me, I brought it to the hospital."

He rummaged around his bag and took out the pile of papers, the edges already rumpled. Akira stretched out his hand and took the sheets of paper. He cleared his throat before turning the pictures towards Ryuji, covering the names underneath and short descriptions. 

“Etsuji Hino,” Ryuji shot out as soon as he saw a benevolent-looking man in his fifties, a receding hairline of grey hair paired with black eyes. “He’s the chef I’ll be studying under. Has two daughters, divorced.” 

Akira nodded, turning the paper around and checking the description under the picture. Then he shuffled the papers, running Ryuji through the staff. The blond detected a pleasantly surprised expression on Akira’s face, or maybe even pride.

He shot out all the answers in quick fashion, making sure to think quickly but carefully about his answer, before describing the person. 

“Daisuke Tao, a guard. Twenty-two,” Ryuji described the next person, a young looking male with sharp cheekbones. His black shoulder-length hair was swept to the side, making him look younger. 

Akira nodded, turning all the papers around, “Well, we’ve gone through all of them. Futaba, how are you doing?” The raven stood up, walking towards Ryuji and standing beside him. 

The girl typed in a couple more codes Ryuji didn’t recognize and turned her attention towards the pair. 

She walked to a trash bag underneath her bed and rummaged around it, Ryuji shooting a questioning glance towards Akira, who only shrugged in reply. 

The girl turned around, her hands full of small rectangle-y looking boxes. 

“These are the bugs I prepared for you. Put them in rooms you will spend the most time in. That means I want at least two in the kitchen from different angles, and then if you can make it happen, plant one in Watanabe’s office. Maybe you’ll get to see him when you first enter the house. Plant some of them in a hallway or two, I don’t know, just make it as inconspicuous as possible.” 

Ryuji nodded, taking the bugs into his hands. He almost dropped two of them. Some of them had tiny wires sticking out of their bodies, all of them covered in black paint. 

“How do I get them through security?” 

The redhead shrugged, “that will probably be tricky.” 

“I can give you my bag with a false bottom,” Akira interjected, “it would be useful if they decide to check for anything suspicious. Safest, too.” 

“Alright, thanks, that sounds awesome,” the blonde grinned and Akira smiled in return. 

“Then we’ll have to stop by Leblanc on our way home.” 

Ryuji nodded, and the pair turned back towards Futaba, who was already sitting back in her seat, looking smug. 

“You know all the staff I told you to learn about?” 

The boy in question uttered an affirmative hum, “Yeah, what about them?” 

“Well, it’s not the ones I sent you that you should be wary of,” the girl typed in a couple of letters, the screens turning green. 

Ryuji inclined his head in question, waiting for her to continue. 

“I could get information on them because they’re not dangerous. They didn’t hide anything. There are probably a number of other people working there under Watanabe, who I couldn’t find out about.” 

“Didn’t you say you were like a genius hacker? Shouldn’t this be a piece of cake for you?” Ryuji asked and Futaba shot him an offended look, the green of her screens making her glasses shine in the process. 

“I can’t get a hold of something if it doesn’t exist, stupid,” she huffed in annoyance and Ryuji shut his mouth. “They have nothing on the web for me to steal. Meaning, they make sure to not be found out. Those you should be careful of.” 

She sighed, “well, if you memorized the faces I sent you, it should narrow down the suspect pool. You should still be careful around them, but they probably didn’t go through such lengths as to make a fake bio.” 

“You did it for me.” 

“Well, yeah, but that’s my job, they don’t have time for such things. Or brains. Well, except if they hired someone.” The girl shrugged and Ryuji started feeling more and more confused. 

“So… It doesn’t really help me all that much? They could still be out to get me?” 

Akira scowled, “Ryuji, everyone will be out to get you there, no matter the level of involvement with Watanabe,” the raven shut his eyes tight and Ryuji took this moment to appreciate the way his hair curled around the base of his neck. 

Futaba stretched her arms above her head, “well, in my opinion, it still makes everything much easier. I think you should try and make friends with some of those people, feel out the situation.” 

Ryuji nodded, trying to process the information. 

“Alright, I can do that.” Futaba hummed in reply, while Akira sighed. 

“I just… Be careful, okay?” The raven frowned, his eyes shooting around Ryuji’s face like he was memorising his every feature. 

The blonde grinned. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll do just fine. Careful’s my middle name.” 

Akira sighed again, turning his gaze towards his feet, before staring at the blond, “I’ll hold you to it, then, Ryuji Careful Sakamoto.” 

They spent some time together, the blond not even paying attention to the clock. Futaba’s room was filled with artificial lightning anyway, and the trio didn’t figure out the sun was setting until it was already 10 pm. It was only when Akira drew in his breath in shock and abruptly stood up that Ryuji noticed the time. 

“You should probably get going, you’ll have to wake up early tomorrow,” The younger boy shuffled around the room. 

“Yeah, that sounds good. We still gotta go to your place for the backpack, though.” 

Akira hummed and Futaba already turned towards her computer screen, launching Pac-Man. She looked at the blond with the corner of her eye. 

“When you get on the train tomorrow, phone me. I’ll probably be awake by then anyway, what with my insomnia working overtime. I’ll keep you company and make sure everything’s alright. I already have a tracker installed on your phone, so it should be fine.” 

Ryuji nodded, stepping out of the door, “thanks, I’ll hear from you tomorrow, then,” 

Futaba hummed and Akira took Ryuji by his bicep, practically hauling him out of the door, only yelling a faint goodbye to his cousin. They walked in complete silence towards the café, Ryuji feeling himself grow more jittery with every step.

 _It’s really happening. I’m doing this, tomorrow._ He couldn’t decide if he was excited or scared. Probably both, knowing him. 

He stole a glance towards the black-haired boy. Akira had his hands bunched up in his jean pockets, his eyes focused solely on the pavement in front of them. 

“I’ll be fine, I promise ya,” Ryuji broke the silence. Akira looked up at him with a surprised expression, before scowling at his feet. 

“I know, I know…” He cursed silently, “I still worry. I trust you, but that doesn’t make the fear go away. It’s still somewhere in the back of my mind. I’ll be to blame if anything happens.” 

Ryuji didn’t know what to answer to that, so he kept quiet. 

“You talked about a mother that needs money for her daughter, right, to get better? At the hospital?” The raven asked and Ryuji looked at him, perplexed, but nodded in reply. “Would you like to use the money we get from Watanabe to help them? This whole mission will go through only because of your help, so I think it’s only fair to let you decide who this money goes to.” 

Ryuji looked down at his feet, “The mom said she doesn’t want to take money from someone she doesn’t know, so I don’t think it’d work anyway.” 

“We can just bring it to her anonymously, drop it in her bag or bring it to her house, that’s how Futaba and I normally do these things,” Akira said and when Ryuji didn’t give an answer, he gently touched the blond’s shoulder. “Just think about it, alright? You don’t need to answer right away. Just know that that’s an option.” 

They stopped in front of the café and when Akira opened the door, a waft of coffee smell intruded Ryuji’s senses. He missed going to this place, it made him relax and the calming smell of coffee helped dull his senses and strong emotions. 

Akira pushed the backpack in Ryuji’s hands when they got upstairs, showing him how to open the hidden pocket of the false bottom. 

“Alright, thanks,” Ryuji grinned, shifting his weight. It was getting pretty late and he had to catch the last train to get as much sleep as possible. _Although I doubt I’ll be able to sleep at all._

Akira nodded, his hair falling in front of his eyes, obscuring his vision. 

The boy cleared his throat, “Right, well then, be careful tomorrow. If anything happens, don’t hesitate to call. I’ll walk you to the door.” 

Ryuji hummed affirmatively and turned around, stepping towards the stairs. 

_Test the waters, she said. It will be fun, she said._ Ryuji pulled a bitter face. _Ah, fuck it. What can go wrong?_ He almost rolled his eyes in mocking. _Famous last words._

He walked down the stairs, hyper-focused on Akira’s footsteps echoing behind him, reminding himself to breathe in every once in a while. His heart was hammering against his ribcage and Ryuji could feel the veins of his arms pumping blood to his fingers. 

He got to the front door, and before he could think better of it, he turned around, Akira almost bumping into him in the process. 

“Whoa, wha-“

Ryuji took that moment to extend his right arm, pulling Akira by the front of his shirt. The raven couldn’t do much more than follow, his eyes widening and breath catching in his throat. He stopped mere inches in front of Ryuji, the air between them crackling. 

_It’s my turn now,_ Ryuji let a small smirk play on his lips. 

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, then,” his words came out much more gravelly then they would if he tried. He let his eyes run over Akira’s face, stopping for a short moment on his lips, before meeting the grey eyes again. 

He let his hand fall and before he could turn around to look more closely at the reaction that pulled out of the raven, he walked out of the café, not looking back, the door closing behind him and leaving Ryuji alone with his thoughts. 

_Ann, you better be right about this._


	19. Chapter 19

_I went to work. I prepared you breakfast - it's in the fridge, microwave it! I’ll be back by four. Love you, Ryuji._

The blond sighed, gently setting the piece of paper next to his mother’s glasses to make sure she notices it. He turned around and tiptoed out of his mother’s room. She had been working from home until the dead of night yesterday, and Ryuji didn’t want to wake her up, so he quietly grabbed Akira’s backpack and stalked down the stairs. 

He put on the shoes he normally wore for one of his mother’s meetings and closed the front door behind him, making sure to lock it. For his first day at Watanabe’s household, he decided to wear casual but still professional looking jeans and a white shirt, the top two buttons unbuttoned. 

He didn’t like these clothes but guessed it was the appropriate thing to wear. Watanabe probably wouldn’t be amused if Ryuji showed up on his doorstep in muddied blue trainers and neon yellow track pants. 

Ryuji fished his phone out of his pocket, checking his notifications. He had one unanswered call and two messages, all from Futaba. 

**Futaba:** You up yet? 

**Futaba:** Yeah, you are. Call me when you get this. 

The blond sighed, pushing the call button and listening to the beeps. Almost as soon as he hit call, Futaba picked it up, her cheery voice making Ryuji feel tired. 

“Good morning cupcake, how did you sleep?” 

If Ryuji wasn’t high on adrenaline coursing through his body since 3 am, he was sure to have dropped dead a long time ago. He felt nervous and awake, the cold morning air hitting him in the face and keeping him up. 

“I slept for only about four hours, but I think you already know that, considering you stalk my phone,” Ryuji grumbled. “You didn’t need to check up on me, I could’ve called you when I was ready, you know.” 

Futaba tsked, “oh, come now. As if you’re not used to me stalking everyone’s phones already.” 

Ryuji picked up his pace, walking towards the train station in a light jog to clear his mind. He let the practised way of his breathing take over and Futaba hummed confusedly.

“Your train arrives in about ten minutes, so you’re fine, no need to run, blondie.” 

The boy rolled his eyes, “I want to run, it clears my head,” he answered and he could almost feel Futaba’s trust in him seeping away. 

“You’re weird, that’s what it is,” she huffed and Ryuji smiled to himself. 

Her bantering made him feel more in control of himself, the redhead’s voice keeping him from thinking about his mission too much. It helped him focus and think about something else, for which he was as grateful as a rabbit would be if the wolf decided not to eat it. 

_Remember to bring her a box of chocolates. Or two, they’ll probably be gone in a day anyway._ He mused to himself, before slowing down and stopping at the train station. 

He talked with Futaba about nothing in particular while he waited for the train, and when it finally arrived, he stepped into the farthest car possible, checking for a calm corner to sit in. 

There weren’t many people, so Ryuji didn’t have to worry about anyone overhearing him talking to Futaba. He sat down at the far right end of the car. 

“Alright, I’m here.” 

“I know,” The redhead said in a voice that projected the duh face in front of Ryuji’s eyes. “Huh, that’s weird…”

“What’s weird?” 

“Well…” Futaba hummed, and Ryuji heard the faint clicking of a keyboard. “It’s… Akira.” 

The blond perked up in his seat the moment he heard the raven’s name being uttered, and when he noticed his reaction, he chided himself. He cleared his throat. 

“What about ‘im?” 

“He’s up already.” 

“Why would that be weird?” Ryuji asked incredulously. 

“Well, not weird, per se, just… not normal?” Ryuji stayed quiet, waiting for the girl to continue. “He normally sleeps like a log, and loves sleeping in. He must be thinking about something quite important if he let it cut in on his majesty's beauty sleep,” the redhead clicked her tongue and Ryuji cringed. 

“You think so?” 

Futaba stayed quiet at the other end of the line, “Yesterday, he went to sleep at around 1 in the morning.” 

The blond drew his eyebrows together, “how do you know?” 

Futaba sighed, as if she was annoyed with having to explain for the tenth time that mermaids don’t exist to a twelve year old. “The same way I knew you were awake today, stupid. Phone activity.” 

Ryuji shuddered, “why the hell do you check those things?” 

“I don’t, normally. But if I see Akira didn’t get enough sleep to pull off a heist properly, then that’s a pretty nifty thing to use.” 

“That is so illegal…” Ryuji whispered, but it didn’t seem like Futaba was paying any attention to him. 

“Anyway, I guessed he would sleep until 9 in the morning today, to make up for the night, but I guess not…”

“So… you think something is bothering him?” Ryuji asked, trying to sound casual, but his voice didn’t obey him as his mind played the memories of last night; the way his fist clenched around Akira’s shirt, or how the grey eyes seemed to devour his every feature. 

Futaba was quiet for a moment, “did something happen?” She asked, clear interest heard in her tone. 

Ryuji cursed himself and his inability to hide his emotions. The way people could read his face like a book was seriously starting to get on his nerves. 

“What? No.” He scoffed, trying to channel his inner actor. _C’mon, you’re gonna have to play a role for two weeks, you better start practicing._ “He just… told me he’s worried about me, so that’s what it probably is.” 

Futaba hummed, and Ryuji got a distinct feeling she wasn’t buying it completely. 

“Well, that does sound like him…” The girl apparently decided to leave it at that, and Ryuji let out a slow breath. 

_Was he thinking about yesterday? Is that what’s bothering him so much?_ Ryuji cringed. _Yeah, maybe I shouldn’t have done that eight hours before the start of my mission._

“Anyway, you know you won’t be able to have the earpiece there, right? It’s just too noticeable.” 

Ryuji nodded, “Yeah, I do. Although, we could probably say it’s a hearing aid and that I’m hard of hearing.” 

“We could…” Futaba started, her voice trailing off. 

Ryuji got used to her not voicing her every thought by now, and he already knew that when she talked like that, it was because her mind was calculating every possible outcome meanwhile. 

“But, it’s still a pretty big risk. I want you to be as safe as possible in there, and I don’t think that would be such a smart idea. I installed the panic button on your phone, anyway.” 

“Right. So If I’m in danger I just push it, and you come running, right?” 

Futaba snorted, “I don’t run, not even metaphorically. However, I will override their security system and get you out, yeah,” she hummed and Ryuji shifted his weight. 

“You just worry about getting out as soon as possible if that happens,” he could hear her voice softening when she talked. “You’ll be fine. We’ll be with you all the way right?” There was a faint noise of Futaba unwrapping a chocolate bar heard, and the next second, she was mumbling in between gulps, and the blond snickered good-naturedly. 

A faint ding got his attention, and when he looked at his phone, he noticed he received a new text message. He tapped the notification and frowned. 

**Akira:** Just wanted to send you a good luck message, so; good luck! 

The corners of Ryuji’s mouth quirked up and he put his head in his hand, subconsciously grinning like an idiot. _Alright, so we’re good. How should I continue this?_

 **Ryuji:** Thanks, but I’d rather see you getting enough sleep. Futaba tells me you haven’t slept much. Something on your mind? 

“Yo, blondie, what are you doing?” Futaba’s voice snapped Ryuji’s attention back to his conversation over the phone. “I’ve called your name like five times now.” The redhead sounded annoyed, and Ryuji hurried with explaining. 

“Sorry, I was just texting Akira. He wished me good luck.” 

She clicked her tongue, “Well, tell him to go to sleep. He’ll probably listen to you more than me, anyway.” 

Ryuji heard another ding. 

**Akira:** Sorry to worry you, it’s nothing. And of course Futaba knows when I go to sleep, Jeez. I should tell her to mind her own business. 

The blond frowned. _Nothing? We can’t have that._

 **Ryuji:** Are you sure it’s nothing? You know you can tell me if something’s bothering you, right? 

**Akira:** I know, thanks. I've just been thinking about some things. 

_Some things?_

**Ryuji:** Well, next time you decide sleeping’s not for you, just call me, share your thoughts. It'd be like we're in the same room, eh? 

_In the same bed,_ supplied a runaway thought in Ryuji’s brain. 

“Wai- Akira went offline." Futaba's confused voice cut through the speaker. "Ah, no, there he is again. The hell was that?” The redhead sounded genuinely confused and Ryuji’s eyebrows rose in amusement. 

_Ann’d be proud. Who knew I had such game?_ He grinned to no one in particular, feeling especially cocky. 

**Akira:** I’ll hold you to it, then. 

The bubble of pride burst and Ryuji’s heart stuttered against his chest. _There goes my confidence. Smashed under Akira’s shoe, what a way to go._

 **Ryuji:** Good. Now, get some sleep. I’ll fill you in on everything once I get back. 

**Akira:** Alright, be careful. 

**Ryuji:** Sweet dreams, sleeping beauty~

The blond hummed contentedly, “there, I told him to go to sleep.” He waited for a response, and a second later, Futaba murmured something under her breath. 

“Well, it doesn’t look like he listened to you. He’s still on his phone.” 

_Did I break him? Gotta remember to buy Ann a box of chocolates, too._ Ryuji would have felt especially proud of himself, if not for the fact that that meant Akira didn’t go to sleep. Maybe he was worrying about something else, and it wasn’t Ryuji he was losing sleep over. What if it was something more serious? 

“Ah, there he goes. He’ll be fine now,” the redhead’s voice took Ryuji out of his swirling thoughts, and the blond let out a relieved breath. 

“That’s good.” 

Futaba hummed, “On a more serious note, how’s Ann doing? Is she okay?” 

Ryuji blinked a few times, “ah, yeah, she’s doing fine. As happy as a clam, when Shiho comes to visit.” He mused to himself. 

“I’m glad. She’s an amazing person, I don’t know why she hangs out with you,” she said and let Ryuji know she was joking with how her voice lilted. 

“Akira hangs out with me, too.” 

“Well, yeah, but he’s not amazing. He’s a pretty average dude,” Futaba continued and Ryuji snorted, tension from the oncoming day lessening. 

“If he heard you talk like that…” 

“Knowing him, he’d most likely say that you’re the amazing one.” He could picture Futaba shaking her head in mock exasperation, one of her small smiles gracing her lips, and he grinned at the thought. 

“ _You_ hang out with me, too.” 

“Because your mom pays me to,” the redhead shot back and Ryuji laughed out loud before stifling his laughter, a couple at the other end of the car glancing his way. 

“Ouch, I felt that one in my bones,” he said and Futaba giggled in response. 

Calm silence settled between them as the platform Ryuji had to get off on started nearing. 

“Five minutes, and you’re off,” he heard the girl say, now every joking sub tone gone from her voice. “I won’t be able to talk to you after that.” 

Ryuji gulped and took in a few deep breaths. 

“Make sure to turn on the bugs before entering the house, so you can just plant them anywhere you see fit.” 

“Alright, I’ll do that.” 

“You remember everything we talked about, right?” 

“I hope so,” Ryuji frowned and Futaba tsked. 

“You’ll do fine. Don’t worry, just… Geez, we’d need Akira for this, I don’t know how it is in the field,” an annoyed lilt creeped its way into the girl’s voice, and Ryuji snapped his attention to the oncoming platform. “I can only provide support, I’m sorry.” 

The blond shook his head, wanting to assure the redhead. _Bring her three boxes of chocolates._ “That’s plenty, I feel much better having you on the team, behind the computers, believe me.” The train stopped, and he slowly stood up and left the car, cold wind slapping him in the face like a wake-up call. 

“I’m here. Where to now?” he shivered, wrapping his jacket tightly around his torso. 

“Just walk along the main street, you’ll get there in ten minutes,” came the sobering reply of Akira’s cousin. “It’s on your right.” 

Ryuji nodded, “thanks. I’ll have to go now, but you can listen in from the bug thingies, right?” 

“Right. Good luck, Ryuji.” 

The boy took another deep breath, closing his eyes in the process to calm himself down. 

“Thanks, I’ll see you later.” 

“Alright. Call me after,” Futaba said before ending the call, the long beep echoing in Ryuji’s ears. 

_Okay. It’s all me, now._ He picked up his pace, walking past mansions and rich looking houses that made his eyes bulge in astonishment. 

Opening the bag in the process and taking out the black boxes, he pressed the small switch on them and a tiny yellow light flashed twice before turning off again. He took another deep breath and placed the bugs in the false bottom. 

He was nearing the end of the street when he saw the correct house on the right. He whistled, stopping in front of the white wall, the iron bars of the entrance the only way to see the huge house past them. On the right, he noticed a keyboard-like screen inserted in the wall. Above him, three cameras were filming the goings-on in the street. 

He glanced behind his shoulder, feeling anxious. He could feel non-existent stares from all around the neighbourhood, the people taking interest in the boy ringing on the door of Sora Watanabe’s mansion.

He took another deep breath to calm himself, counting to five and slowly releasing it. Then he turned towards the gadget in the wall and tapped a red round button on the keyboard. 

“State your name,” came a female voice from a small speaker above him after a few beeps. 

Ryuji glanced upwards, towards a camera that was now more than obviously turned to film him. He cleared his throat. 

“Hi, I’m Ryu- I’m Riku Hasegawa,” his mind provided him with a helpful wish of banging his head against the nearest wall he could find, and the blond barely resisted the temptation. _Almost fucked up already. Ryuji, C’mon._ “I came here to start learning under your head chef as an apprentice.” He added and waited for a response. 

The iron gates clicked twice, “Come in,” the woman’s cold tone did nothing to ease Ryuji’s anxiety as the gates started opening. 

He waited for them to open fully, before he dared step foot on the property. As soon as he did, though, he saw two tall males making their way towards him. 

One was dark-skinned, his shoulders as broad as a door. He was wearing a frown and his head was shaved. His steps seemed confident and self-assured. 

The other man looked much smaller compared to the mountain of a man next to him, but the rippling muscles under the black T-shirt established his love for gyms just as loudly. His long hair was braided and swept over one shoulder, his almond shaped eyes and sharp cheekbones making Ryuji do a double take. 

The blond decided to pull a tentative smile to counter the feelings of dread coursing through him. As they neared him, his mind helpfully spewed out information. 

_Darryl Robinson, married, 42. Daisuke Tao, 22._

“Hi, I’m Riku Hasegawa. I’m here for Etsuji Hino?” He said, finishing his sentence more as a question than a statement.

He tried to sound as calm and confident as possible, but even if he didn’t succeed, he was sure these two were used to people’s voices shaking a bit when talking to them, so it didn’t make that much of a difference. 

He decided to focus on the younger of the two, smiling as if he wasn’t on enemy territory to bake cakes and plant spying gadgets. 

Daisuke smiled at him politely, extending his arm. “Hello, I am Daisuke Tao. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Ryuji shook his hand, bewildered when the guy didn’t crush it with his grip just because he could. 

Then the blonde turned towards the older man, shaking his hand too.

“We heard someone was coming today, yeah. My name is Darryl Robinson.” Ryuji smiled politely. 

_I’m pretty sure they can smell fear. Do they teach that here? I hope not. I should be reeking of it by now. Okay. New plan. Defuse the tension._

“So, take me to your leader, please.” _Abort, I repeat, abort!_ His eyes widened and he could feel his head splitting open in panic. He could already see himself lying in the coffin out of solid oak, Akira getting beat up by Ann next to it, when he heard a snort from the long-haired man. 

Daisuke had his left eyebrow raised, and the left corner of his mouth was twitching involuntarily. His dark blue eyes shined with amusement, before he blinked and pulled himself together, only a faint smile still seen on his lips. 

“First, we have to search you. You know, for safety purposes,” the male cleared his throat and outstretched his hand. “If you could give me your backpack…” He trailed off, and Ryuji shrugged the backpack off his shoulders, handing it to Daisuke. 

Darryl stepped forward, and Ryuji almost broke his neck looking up at the man, who was now searching his jacket pockets. 

“Take off your shoes,” the man grunted and Ryuji obeyed without a second thought. 

The blond strained against following Daisuke’s every move with his eyes, when he started opening the bag and searching through his items. If he paid attention to the bag, they’d be sure to suspect something.

So he patiently waited for them to be satisfied with the search, and tried not to exhale in relief when he was handed back his bag and they gave him the cue to follow them down the cobbled path, past the gardens and to the main entrance. 

“We heard Watanabe sir permitted Etsuji to take in an apprentice, but I didn’t expect it to be someone so young,” Daisuke started conversationally, walking beside the blond while Robinson led the way. 

Ryuji chuckled, awkwardly scratching his neck, “yeah, I hear that a lot. I’m pretty successful for my age, I guess.” 

“That doesn’t surprise me, if Etsuji was willing to take you under his wing,” the other man hummed, placing his hand under his chin. 

Ryuji shot a glance towards the guard, trying to read his expression. _He seems nice._ Before he could be spotted staring, he turned his head forwards and started paying attention to the path in front of them. 

The main entrance led them into the main foyer, two columns of pillars supporting the upper levels, to which three different staircases led. He paid attention to each door they passed and committed to memory what path they took. 

They went up the right staircase and turned left towards the hallway leading to a big marble door. Before it, the hallway opened up just so, and on the right side a woman was sitting behind her desk.

She had her black hair bunched into a bun on top of her head, her glasses were placed on the tip of her nose, and her eyes stared at the trio unblinkingly. Her stare was piercing and searching, so Ryuji instinctively turned his head away from her eyes. 

He didn’t recognize her. She wasn’t in Futaba’s files, that he was sure of. 

The guards looked intimidating, while the woman looked intimidatingly. He gulped, before sending her a small smile. He glanced at the woman’s biceps. _Jesus, is this building made up of people who could bench press a high school?_

“Riku Hasegawa, I take it?” She asked, and Ryuji identified her voice as the one from the speakers outside of the mansion. 

He nodded and the woman looked down at the pile of papers, not sparing him another glance. She tapped a few words on the computer and raised her hand to her earpiece. 

“Okay. I will tell them,” she looked at the trio and her stare fixated on Ryuji. “Mister Watanabe is expecting you. You can enter through the door,” she gestured towards the marble door and returned to typing on her computer. 

Ryuji nervously glanced at Daisuke, the only person who seemed like he still contained a soul. The black haired man sent a quick reassuring smile his way. 

“We’ll be waiting outside to show you the rest of the house, go on,” he nodded and Ryuji took that as a cue to step towards the door and open it. 

When he stepped inside, he was met with a room three times bigger than his bedroom. One wall was completely made of glass, which made the room seem bright and inviting. Ryuji took a few confident steps to the middle of the room, and he stopped in front of a black ebony office desk, filled with piles of papers. Behind the desk sat none other than Sora Watanabe. 

His receding hairline made his forehead look as big as his face and he wore a smile that didn’t completely reach his eyes. The blond thought the woman out front was scary, but now, he would take her glaring over his lifelessness any day. 

He stepped closer, clearing his throat. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. I’m Riku Hasegawa.” _I’ve repeated this so many times by now I’ll forget what my real name is._ He outstretched his hand and Watanabe took it, his palm cold and his grip suffocating. 

The man nodded, gesturing for Ryuji to sit down. _I need to find an opening to place the bug._ He looked around to get his bearings. There wasn’t much else in the room, only two potted plants seated in each corner of the room behind Watanabe. Along the whole right wall extended a row of shelves, filled with books and files. Next to the man, there were two more guards. 

Ryuji tried to identify them, but found he couldn’t recognize them. They weren’t in Futaba’s files either. A shiver ran through the blond’s body. They were wearing suits and sunglasses, which gave them a sense of anonymity and superiority that he did not appreciate. 

_I can’t tell where they’re looking. I can’t open the fake pocket right here._ He cursed silently. _I’ll have to find another way. Or go another day._

“Chef Hino will be here any minute to greet you, boy,” Watanabe said with a plastic smile, “meanwhile, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself? You must be quite a catch, if our chef deemed you worthy of studying under him, hm?” 

Ryuji looked down at his lap, trying to keep his thoughts intact. _This is a lot harder than I thought. Alright. Let's try this again._

He looked up and put on a dazzling smile, showing all his teeth in the process. He chuckled lightly, as if this was all just a tad embarrassing to him. 

“Ah, you flatter me, I was merely extremely lucky to get to where I am today. Of course, a lot of hard work was put in by me, but we cannot overlook the privileges I was already born with. _Those_ made sure I succeeded where my passions lay.” 

_Whoa, is that laying it on too thick?_

“Ah, such humility is rarely seen nowadays. Tell me, how old are you again?” 

_Thank thee, oh almighty Mom for making me learn how to act like pampered royalty at your meetings. Remember to buy mom a box of chocolates, too. Soooo many boxes of chocolates to buy._

He could’ve whooped from joy in that moment, but the silent presence of the two guards kept him glued to his seat. Even then, he felt like Watanabe wasn't that gullible, even on his worst days.

Ryuji was pretty sure the man read everything that was there to read on Riku Hasegawa and even memorised it. So him asking about his age seemed fishy to the blond. He couldn’t say exactly what the guy was trying to find out, but he would give his best performance nonetheless. 

“I’m twenty years old. I’ll actually be Twenty-one in December,” Ryuji added before he was interrupted by the opening of the office door. 

In stepped a short man with shining eyes and a benevolent smile. He was wearing a white cook coat and black pants underneath. 

His eyes met Ryuji’s and he excitedly clapped his hands together. He outstretched his arm and Ryuji shook it. _This man showed more emotion in first five seconds than all of the others put together in an hour._

“Ah, you must be Riku, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” chef Hino turned towards his boss, bowing his head. “Sir, I am excited to present you my new apprentice. I see you have already conversed with him. I hope you are pleased with my selection?” The chef kept his eyes downcast, a small smile playing on his lips. 

Watanabe bowed his head back in greeting before gluing his eyes back on the blond. Ryuji willed himself to stare back at the head of the household without batting an eye. The man hummed, a small smirk taking over his features as he looked away. Ryuji felt like he had just prematurely lost a battle he was never meant to win.

The man looked back at the chef, “he’ll do fine. Seems like a responsible and capable young man. I wish you all the luck.” He turned around, stepping around the pair of guards as if they didn’t even exist, both of them following his lead. ”Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. Where is Tao?” He asked loudly, the guard stepping into the room. Daisuke nodded before looking down at his feet, his braid falling over his shoulder. 

“You wished for me, sir?” Daisuke asked politely and Watanabe clicked his tongue. 

“Make sure to show our apprentice around,” he looked towards Ryuji once more, before turning on his heels, “if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask the staff here, and I hope you find yourself enjoying working here, Riku Hasegawa. It’s been a pleasure. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” 

With that, the man left with both his bodyguards, the heels of his polished shoes clicking on the tiled floor. 

The blond’s attention was brought back to the present by a strong hand gently squeezing his shoulder. Ryuji looked over his shoulder to meet eyes with the smiling young guard. 

“Let me show you around, then.” 


	20. Chapter 20

Ryuji almost tripped over his own feet while following Daisuke down a flight of stairs. The man was calmly leading the way, curtly telling Ryuji about the layout of the house. Of course, Ryuji already knew the basic layout, but the different turns and hallways they took made him lose his orientation. 

The cook was taking short but fast steps right behind the blond, humming to himself while they took another flight of stairs towards the basement part of the house, where the stocks of food probably laid. 

The other guard, Darryl, had left as soon as it was known that Daisuke would be the one to show Ryuji around, and the blond was quietly thankful for that.

The man gave off a serious presence that really didn’t mix well with Ryuji, so he was rather happy to see him go.

Of course, at the back of his mind, he knew he was a nice person, with two daughters and a wife and a rather large circle of friends, but the man was doing his job as a guard rather well, and his strict posture scared the shit out of Ryuji. 

Daisuke stopped in his tracks and the other boy almost crashed into him, uttering a small oomph before pulling himself together. The guard turned around and sent an apologetic glance towards Ryuji. 

“Sorry about that, didn’t want to make you crash into me.” 

The blond shook his head and sent a smile the other’s way, “No problem, man. I should’ve been watching where I was going.” 

Daisuke smiled back, his eyes trailing invisible lines over Ryuji’s face. The cook interjected the strange staring contest with a clap of his hands. 

“Alright, so here we have everything we need to keep this household afloat. You understand, the boiler room, janitor’s closet, freezer room- I will send you here many times to get me ingredients for food. There’s also a safe room for if an earthquake hits...” He made vague circles with his hands like he was trying to propel the conversation onwards, and Daisuke cut him off. 

“But you’ll get to know the place better with time. We’re just here to show you a shortcut to the kitchens. It’ll be faster if you take this route when going to look for ingredients. If not, you’ll just walk for five minutes and possibly get lost. 

They then took two right corners before ascending. The stairs looked more run-down than anything else Ryuji had previously seen in the house. _Watanabe probably doesn’t care about this part of the house, ‘cause no one will visit it anyway._

The blonde pulled a face but a moment later, his nose was assaulted by a mixture of delicious smells, sweet mixing with a touch of spicy. He inhaled and tried to take everything in. 

“This is the kitchen, where you’ll be for the most part to cook. The back room is at the side.” 

Ryuji looked around. The part of his brain that loved cooking was screaming at the top of its lungs, and Ryuji couldn’t help but smile subconsciously from looking at five of the cooks, each and every one of them dressed in a white robe like the chef’s. Their movements were hurried but practised, and Ryuji could see the synced way they were moving. They were like one person, a mixture of limbs and heads. 

His mind subconsciously recited the names of the faces he recognised, two of which he didn’t. One of them was a thin, frail-looking woman with black glasses on her long nose. A strand of light brown hair was peeking out of her chef cap. The other was a short man, currently joking with one of the other cooks. He smiled widely when patted his colleague on the back, which made his shoulder muscles ripple. 

They didn’t look like the classic type villain Ryuji would think of, but he couldn’t rule them out just yet. _They look harmless but better safe than sorry. I’ll keep an eye on them._

Daisuke mock bowed in front of Ryuji, “I’ll be going, then. From here on out, our dear Etsuji will be the one to show you the ropes. But if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask me, either. You could say I’m a part-time butler, too, not only a guard, so I know some stuff.” He sent the blond a smirk, “well then, I hope to get to taste some food you cook, soon.” He was already stepping around the chef and his apprentice, waving nonchalantly, his steps light on the white tiled floor. 

Ryuji blinked a few times and the chef chuckled, slapping the blond on the shoulder, “now boy come. I have yet to introduce you to everyone.” 

Ryuji nodded and followed his boss to the middle of the room. After all the pleasantries were done with and everyone was acquainted with the new apprentice, it was time for the group to start preparing lunch. 

Ryuji found himself getting overwhelmed by everyone knowing what to do, while he only stood still, doing nothing. He looked around to get his bearings and decide where to put the bugs for Futaba, and maybe, if he was lucky, figure out where certain ingredients were kept. Or how everyone functioned in this flurry of limbs. 

The kitchen was a big space, a counter in the middle of it. Everything was practically shining and Ryuji admired how no one failed to keep the place clean. When he himself cooked, he was always bound to spill something, drop a bag of flour or otherwise get himself or his surroundings dirty. 

The whole right part of the room was filled with cooking stoves and sinks, while the shelves on the wall right in front of him looked like they will give under the weight of different pans and cutlery at any moment. 

He glanced around, making sure everyone was engrossed in whatever they were doing, before quickly opening up his bag and taking two small boxes out of the false bottom. He stuffed the bugs into his jacket pocket before a hand slapped his shoulder and made Ryuji almost jump out of his skin. 

“Young man, why don’t you put your stuff in the back room? There’s also an apron hanged on one of the hangers for you there. We haven’t yet had the time to get you a proper attire, but I assure you that tomorrow, we will have one prepared for you. And make sure to wash your hands,” Etsuji smiled, sidestepping to let one of the female cooks slip past him with a pot of boiling hot water. 

Ryuji nodded hastily and hurried towards a door on the other end of the room. He closed the door behind him and took in a deep breath, looking around. He was met with a row of hangers, each probably reserved for one of the cooks. He decided to put his backpack on the floor at the end of the room. Clicking his tongue, he opened up the false bottom and took out one of the bugs. 

“Futaba, this bug’ll go in the backroom. Don’t know if ya need to know that, but… well. Here ya go.” He whispered into the device and then slowly looked around. In the end, he decided to put it on the back part of a cupboard in the corner of the room. 

The black box hid well in the darkness of the room, the shade doing just perfect at masking it. Ryuji noticed some dust gathered on the shelf, so he deemed it okay to use as a hiding space. _No one would look here._

He cracked his neck and put on the apron. It was without blemishes, completely white and Ryuji cringed thinking about having to keep it clean. _This’ll be a pain._ He quickly put the two bugs into the apron pocket and drew his fingers through his hair before stepping over to the door and returning to the kitchen. 

He almost bumped into one of the female cooks. Her platinum blonde hair was wrapped in two braids around her head, a simple cap you see lunch ladies wearing at school covering it. _Her name’s Yukiko. 34._ He raised his hands in surprise. 

“Whoa, sorry, are you okay?” 

The woman smiled at him, almost dropping two bags of green beans and peas on the floor. Ryuji jerked forward instantly, catching one of the bags before it could fall to the ground. 

“Ah, thank you I’m so clumsy,” she smiled and the corners of her eyes crinkled. “Your name is Riku, right? I haven’t introduced myself officially, yet. I’m Yukiko.” She took the bag from Ryuji’s hand and put both of them on the counter, extending her arm for the blond to shake. 

The boy smiled pleasantly, “Yeah, that's me. Nice to meet you. I hope to learn a lot from you.” 

“I’m sure you will, we were actually pretty surprised when boss told us he’ll be taking someone under his wing. But, let’s get going. Could you help me prepare the main dish for today? That should be a nice start.” 

Ryuji nodded enthusiastically. He knew he should be focusing on getting all the bugs planted and get as much information on Watanabe as possible, but he couldn’t help but be excited to study under this amazing crew. 

“Show me the way.” He followed Yukiko to one of the stoves, where she continued to tell him what to do, the others sometimes piping in and chatting with the pair, trying to talk to the ‘fresh meat’. 

Ryuji found himself enjoying the experience more and more, and time flew by without him even noticing. When everything was prepared, Etsuji brought him a slice of cake.

He and one other man decided to bake a cake to welcome the blond into their circle, and when the kitchen was cleaned up a bit, they all took their own slices. The calm and happy voices mixed with each other, creating a pleasant buzz. 

Ryuji by then already talked to all of the members and got a feel for what they were like. Their bios could only tell so much about a person, after all. 

First, there was Yukiko. She seemed like a pleasant and cheery personality that he felt he would get along with well. Then, there were the two people whose names he didn’t know at the start. Another was a black skinned woman with short curly hair wrapped in a bun and put under another one of those caps, and lastly, there was a tall thin man with sharp cheekbones, probably one of the higher ones ranked in the group, as he was often heard ordering the others around. 

When it was time for them to start preparing dessert for tomorrow (Etsuji said that Watanabe will be having visitors over for lunch), Ryuji finally decided it would be a good time to get rid of the bugs that have been burning a hole through his apron pocket. 

As most of the group got up, he cleared his throat and walked to the other part of the kitchen, where pots and pans laid on the shelves. _God, nothing looks like a good enough hiding space. Fuck._

He nervously looked around, making sure no one was looking at him before he put the small box on the highest shelf, the bug practically peeled to the wall. Then he moved his hand to one of the bigger pots, trying to take it down. _Look like you’re trying to get this from the shelf._

“What are you doing, boy?” Ryuji jumped, the pot almost crashing to the floor. He put it back on the shelf and turned around to look at his teacher. 

“Ah, I was just trying to get this pot for us to start cooking the next dish. That’s fine, right?” 

Grey eyes regarded him for a moment, Ryuji’s heart meanwhile trying to decide if this was the moment to burst out of the ribcage or just completely give up and stop working on the spot. Then Eiji scratched his cheek and glanced towards the shelf, ending the staring contest. 

“Sheesh, didn’t know you would be such a handful.” He turned to the left and pulled a pot from the shelf right beside Ryuji’s head. “This one would be a much better suit for what we’ll be cooking. Now. The first half of the day, I let you get to know our team and work with the lovely Yukiko. However. 

“Have afternoons reserved for studying under me. Through the week, in the mornings and evenings, the other team members can help you and show you different techniques, or ideas. We all have our own ways of cooking, after all. For the rest of the day, stick with me.” The man grumbled, his lips pursed. 

Ryuji scratched his neck in embarrassment and chuckled to release the tension, “alright, that sounds good” The man nodded and Ryuji followed him to the counter where they started preparing various sorts of pastries. 

Now, although the blond was still enjoying himself, most of his brain was filled with worry as he tried to cut carrots into micro pieces. Added to the weight of the last black box in his pocket, were the complicated and hard instructions of his teacher. 

The blond could see why he was the boss and how he got that good at his job. Everything he did was fast but exact, his meticulous work astounded Ryuji. _Geez, I’ll ever be as good. I’ll sooner become a figure skater._ He snorted, shaking his head to try and concentrate on the task at hand. 

After a while, when Ryuji almost spilt melted chocolate all over himself and the counter, his boss tsked. “My Lord, you’re a funny one. Don’t spill everything!” 

Ryuji drew his eyebrows together in concentration, trying to balance the hot liquid over a pan in front of himself. 

“Sorry! I didn’t want this to happen,” he sent a sideways glance towards the older man. 

Etsuji was looking at him with a puzzled expression. He briefly searched the blond’s eyes, until Ryuji returned his attention to the melted chocolate. The man sighed. 

“I’d think they taught you how to pour in that prestigious school of yours,” Etsuji grumbled and Ryuji tensed next to him. Thankfully, he didn’t need to respond as the man continued the conversation by himself while shaking his head. “Education these days. Schools don’t teach you nothing anymore.” 

After a beat of silence, the man continued, his tone softening. “You’re doing quite alright, my boy.” 

Ryuji only nodded, not trusting himself to talk normally. He only looked at Etsuji, the man’s eyes staring right back. 

“It seemed like you and Watanabe sir had quite a conversation before I arrived,” the man continued casually and Ryuji only shrugged. 

“’Twas nothing. He only asked me some things.” 

Etsuji nodded, “it seemed like quite an intense conversation. Given your character, that doesn’t surprise me anymore. You seemed to amuse him. But maybe keep your head down when talking to him. He’s quite an influential man, you wouldn’t want to get on his bad side.” 

Ryuji sneaked another glance towards the cook who laughed heartily. “This is exactly what I’m talking about, boy. Your eyes, Riku. They’re the embodiment of the saying; the eyes are the windows to your soul. And yours is quite a rebellious one, ain’t it?” 

Ryuji looked down at his hands. He gripped the pot so tight his knuckles turned white. If Etsuji noticed, he didn’t comment on it. 

“Not that it bothers me. Rebels have spirits,” he pointed his index finger at the blond. “As long as you keep that spirit out of my kitchen, it’s fine by me. Now, hand me that towel. We’re going to make cupcakes.” 

When it was time to go, Ryuji packed up his things, and as he was leaving, he placed a bug behind the counter under the pretence of his jacket falling. He said his goodbyes to the others and exited the kitchen. He turned right and went to the bathrooms. As he splashed handfuls of water on his face, he sighed, feeling more burned out than the last time he had run for two hours. 

Looking at himself in the mirror, he saw faint bags forming under his eyes and he grumbled. In the hallway in front of the bathroom, two pots of flowers lay. 

“Futaba, this one’s for the hallway,” he whispered into a bug and looked around the corner to make sure no one was watching him before choosing the left pot and sticking the part without a microphone into the dirt. 

Thankfully, there weren’t any cameras there, because it was in front of a bathroom. _At least he’s not that kind of an asshole._ Ryuji headed for the entrance, waving to Darryl standing in front of the front door, who only nodded solemnly in return and continued looking at nothing in particular. 

The blond opened the door and stepped into the front garden, breathing in the fresh air. Although the air in the kitchens wasn’t stifling, nothing could beat the outside. He smiled to himself and walked to the gate. There, he was met with a patrolling Daisuke. The man grinned at him and jogged over to his side, waving in the process. 

“Hey, I see you’re done for today?” He slapped Ryuji’s shoulder and the blond grinned. 

“Yeah, I am.” 

“How was it?” The black haired man inclined his head, still looking at Ryuji. 

The blond shifted his weight on his legs. “I’m getting the hang of it. But man, Etsuji’s harsh.” He grimaced and Daisuke threw his head back in a laugh, his braid falling over his shoulder. 

“Yeah, I’ve heard that from time to time. But really, he only means well. He’s a sweetheart when you get to know him.” 

“He was a sweetheart at the start anyways,” Ryuji flashed his white teeth at the other man, “he only turned all medieval on my ass when he started teaching me. Thought he was gonna bring out a ruler and start hitting my hands with it.” 

Daisuke snorted, “You’ll do fine. When you get used to everything, he’ll stop being hard on you. Now, he just wants to make sure you listen to him. It’s the most important part, the start and all that,” Daisuke clapped Ryuji on the shoulder, and his hand lingered there before the man turned around, pushing a button at the side of the front gate. 

The doors started opening and Ryuji found himself experiencing a sort of déjà vu. He cleared his throat to get rid of the weird feeling and stepped outside. 

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow,” he waved his hand and Daisuke nodded. 

“Yeah, when do you get here?” 

“Tomorrow I’ll be here for lunch and dinner.” 

Daisuke’s eyes flickered and he smiled, “That sounds perfect, I’m getting here around that time too, maybe we could grab a bite to eat before that?” He inclined his head expectantly and waited for the blond to answer. 

Ryuji’s brain, for that matter, didn’t look like it wanted to compute. _Did he just-? No. Why would he? I… guess I could use that to my advantage?_

He smiled and nodded, “That sounds cool. Oh, but I’ll need your phone number.” 

Daisuke grinned and stepped towards Ryuji as he pulled a pen out of his jacket pocket. 

“Do you have anything to write on?” He tapped his pockets. “Ah, I’ll just use a tissue.” He pulled out a fresh tissue and started writing on it, while Ryuji just politely waited. 

Daisuke extended his arm with the tissue in it and the blond took it without another word before waving and walking off the Watanabe’s grounds. 

As soon as he was at the end of the street, his phone started ringing. Ryuji fished it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. Futaba. _Who would’ve guessed?_

He grinned and accepted the call. The blond couldn’t wait to hear the girl’s voice. 

“Yo, Futaba, how’d I do?” 

“Not bad, for your first day,” the redhead clicked her tongue and Ryuji smiled subconsciously. He heard a teasing subtone in Futaba’s voice and listened to her talk as he walked towards the train station. 

“But, you didn’t plant any of the bugs in Watanabe’s office. That was the most important part!” 

“Yeah, and it was also the riskiest. There were two guards in the room with me and two right outside. I couldn’t just open up my bag and start throwing the bugs around like it was nothing.” 

Futaba whistled, “Four guards? Huh. That _is_ a lot. What are the others like?” 

Ryuji briefly spoke of the people he met, Futaba humming in recognition once in a while. He sat down in a car of the train with a loud thud. He felt like he was made out of lead, tired and heavy. 

“I’ll tell you more later when I get to your place,” Ryuji groaned exhaustedly. 

Futaba didn’t say anything for a while. Then, her voice reappeared. She was munching on something, probably another bar of chocolate that fell victim to her bottomless pit of a stomach. 

“You could just crash here, get some sleep in my bed before we talk more in depth about the whole day,” She gulped, “of course, first we’ll have to roll Akira off the bed.” 

Ryuji drew his eyebrows together, “What d’ya mean? Is he sleeping at your place right now?” 

The girl hummed in confirmation, “yeah, he came here around noon, said he couldn’t sleep well and that he’ll just monitor your progress with me. After about an hour, he just crashed. He’s been sleeping since.” 

Ryuji snorted, “you just said that like he’s never waking up again.” 

“Hey, a girl can dream,” he could hear her smiling through the speaker, and he grinned in reply. 

“Hey, you said there were four guards there with you, right?” 

Ryuji uttered a sound of confirmation. He didn’t bother forming words, his brain was too tired and the train ride was making him sleepy. 

“And from what I’ve gathered, you got one’s attention, right?” Her sing-song teasing tone swam over to the blond. 

“Daisuke? I- guess you could say that, but I think he was just being nice. You know, to welcome me.” 

Futaba snorted. “Yeah, right,” She lowered her voice, trying to imitate Daisuke’s voice,” Uh, Ryuji, Want to grab a bite? With me? Uhh-“ 

Ryuji cringed, pulling his phone away from his ear. “Ew, enough. Never do that again.” 

Futaba laughed before settling again. “No, but really? Why did you do that? I didn’t get the impression that he'd be your type. He’s the one with the braid, right?” 

Ryuji nodded, “yeah, he is.” He shrugged, “I just thought we could get more information out of him, Watanabe looked like he was quite fond of the guy.” 

Futaba hummed, “Ohh, so that’s what you were playing at. Oh, alright, then.” 

The blond inclined his head, “But what was that about my type?” 

Futaba was quiet for a moment and then continued with the driest tone possible. “Really? Are you really going to play this game with me?” 

“Wh- What game?” Ryuji was becoming more confused by the second. 

Futaba sighed. ”Clueless. Absolutely clueless. Anyway, get here fast, we need to tell Akira about how it all went, too.” Futaba efficiently cut off the conversation and Ryuji made an indignant sound at the back of his throat. 

“I’m on a train! I can’t go any faster!” 

“Well, you could try- at Ryuji?” The blond heard another voice come in from the back and he tried to decipher the words. 

He could hear it was Akira and his heart skipped a beat when he heard the groggy voice from the recently awakened man. 

“Akira, my beloved cousin! We thought you were never going to wake up again! I had half a mind to mummify you with our toilet paper. You’d be happy as a clam like that, you know Sojiro buys the three-ply one. Yeah, it’s Ryuji. Here, put these on,” Ryuji heard a sort of rustling and after a moment, he could hear Akira’s voice clearly. He didn’t sound as sleepy anymore, but his voice was still lower than usual, which made all of Ryuji’s blood flow down to the nether regions. 

“Ryuji! How did it go?” Akira sounded so relieved that Ryuji’s heart fluttered inside his chest. He smiled subconsciously. 

“I’m alright, don’t worry. I’ll be by your place in about thirty minutes, we can talk more there. But I’m fine.” 

Akira sighed, “oh, thank god. Alright, we’ll be waiting for you.” 

The blond nodded, “okay.” 

“Hey,” Akira quickly added before Ryuji could break off the connection. 

“Yeah?” 

“It’s nice hearing your voice again. I’m glad you’re okay.” 

Ryuji’s face lit up from hearing those words, “It’s nice to hear you too. Although I’d much rather see you not losing sleep over little ole me.” He jokingly added and Akira chuckled, his low voice reverberating through the speaker. 

“Yeah, yeah. Just come here soon.” He sounded happily annoyed. 

“I already told Futaba, I can only move as fast as the train,” he grinned and mockingly rolled his eyes, even though neither of them could see him. “But I’ll try. Bye." 

“Bye, Ryuji.” 

Before he hung up, he heard Futaba’s voice grumble from somewhere in the background something about, “What type? My foot.” And then the connection cut off, leaving Ryuji alone with his thoughts. 

He put his earphones in his ears and put on the calmest music he had. The slight tremble under his feet started lulling him to sleep and when he woke up twenty minutes later, he felt much more refreshed. The next stop was his and he stepped onto the platform, practically running towards the Sojiro residence. 

When he stepped in front of the door, it clicked and automatically let him in. The blond walked over to Futaba’s door and opened it up. He was met with a grinning Futaba, who was currently swirling on her chair, and a relieved looking Akira, half laying on the girl’s bed. 

The curly haired boy stood up and clasped his hand over Ryuji’s shoulder. The blond smiled instinctively, feeling the firm grasp on his shoulder warm his insides. He was almost tackled to the floor by a hugging Futaba. He glanced over the girl’s head to look at Akira, who was staring at the blond with a strange glimmer in his eyes. 

“It’s great to see you. Do you wanna catch some zs before we attack you with our questions?” 

“Nah, it’s fine, I got twenty minutes of sleep on the train,” the other boy waved his hand in dismissal and Futaba finally unclasped herself from his body, giving him a playful grin before sitting back down on her chair. 

“Alright, then start explaining.” 

Ryuji tried his best, he really did, but he was never good at explaining things. Thankfully, Futaba was there to fill in any gaps he forgot to. 

“So, it went pretty well, you know, for the first time,” Futaba said cheerily and Ryuji grinned. He put his hands in his pockets and felt the edges of a tissue with his right palm. He pulled the bit of paper out, turning it around in his grasp. 

He felt Akira go still next to him when a series of numbers were revealed. Futaba snorted.

“Is that the guy’s number?”

Ryuji hummed, “it is.”

“Whose guy’s number?” Akira interjected, his eyebrows drawn together.

Futaba snickered, “oh that’s right, we forgot to mention. A guy asked Ryuji out and our blondie said yes.”

The curly haired man’s gaze snapped to Ryuji’s eyes and the boy felt a chill run down his spine. He glared at Futaba, but the girl only raised her eyebrows, the corners of her mouth twitching.

 _Alright, let’s try and make this sound not as bad._ He cringed before shrugging and looking down at his feet.

“It’s a good opportunity to ask about Watanabe. And he probably didn’t mean it like that anyways,” he shot another glare towards the redhead. 

“This could be dangerous, Ryuji.” The boy in question snapped his gaze towards Akira, who was sitting stock still, but his eyes looked calculating. “You don’t know much about him, he could be in on it. What if he’s trying to get information on you for Watanabe?” 

Ryuji shook his head, “Nah, he doesn’t look like it. Also, we have his bio-“

“That doesn’t mean he’s safe.” Akira shot him down, his tone harsh. He drew in a slow breath and rubbed his eyes. “Futaba, tell him.” 

The girl looked at the black-haired man with amusement, but turned to Ryuji nonetheless, “he is right, you know. We don’t have enough proof to say he’s not in on it. But this could all be arranged quickly.” She waved her hand, “just be careful. Look for any signs of something not being right and message us asap if you find any.” 

Akira raised his head and looked at Futaba like she was crazy. “You think that’s enough?” 

Futaba pursed her lips, “yep, I think that’s enough. The guy isn’t dumb enough to try anything regardless of what his intentions are,” she said pointedly, staring straight into Akira’s eyes. 

Akira huffed out a breath and reverted his gaze. Ryuji didn’t dare say a word. This was a conversation he wasn’t entirely able to follow. It was like they were communicating through codes, even though he could understand everything they were talking about. 

“I know that,” Akira grumbled and Futaba regarded him for a second before turning to her computer screen. 

“Take a hike, Akira. You need to breathe. We talked about everything we needed to talk about today anyway.” 

The curly haired boy growled before shooting to his feet. He stomped out the door and the whole house shook with his steps. 

Ryuji looked at the closed door and then turned his gaze towards Futaba, who was now turning around on her chair, a small smile playing on her lips. 

“What are you still doing here?” The redhead inquired and Ryuji looked back at the door confusedly. “Go after him. We both know he needs to talk to you right now.” She swivelled around again, waving her hand over her shoulder in dismissal, “I don’t expect you to come back today.” 

“Right.” Ryuji stood up, slowly walking to the door and quietly closing it behind him. The sun was already setting when Ryuji stepped outside. The air was getting increasingly colder and the blond bunched his fists in his jacket pockets. 

He looked around to get his bearings and let his eyes get used to the dark. He didn’t have to wait long, as Futaba’s room wasn’t one of the brightest places he ever stepped foot in. 

Ryuji noticed Akira’s hunched over figure at the bottom of the stairs. He was slightly shaking because as it seemed, he had forgotten to bring a warm jacket with him when he went to Futaba’s at noon. Ryuji shrugged off his jacket and stepped over to the other boy, wrapping it around his shoulders. 

Akira flinched at the contact. “Don’t you need this?” He grumbled and Ryuji smiled when looking at the black haired boy. _He’s like a stubborn teddy bear._

“Nah, you seem to need it more,” the blond said in a hushed tone. 

Akira was quiet for a while before sighing and shrinking into the jacket. He crossed his arms and hugged it around him, hiding his head into its collar. _Cute._

“Thanks.” 

Ryuji nodded in reply and they stayed for a while, listening to the cars passing in the distance and basking in the calmness of the evening. 

“I’ll be fine, you know,” Ryuji whispered, staring in front of himself, not daring to look at the bundle of absolute joy next to him. 

Akira scowled. “I know that,” he looked at Ryuji with scrunched eyebrows, the fire from his eyes almost melting his glasses. 

The blond shook his head, “then what is it? Because that was a reaction and a half. ‘Dyou be as worried if it was you doing this? I knew what I was getting into.” He was rambling now, trying to make sense of his confused mind. 

Akira just continued scowling, like it was his new favourite expression. 

“That’s different.” 

Ryuji used this moment to look at Akira, searching his eyes all the while. 

“How is it different?” 

The blond only now realised the small space of air left between them. He trailed his eyes along Akira’s body, it looking a lot more fragile in the cold evening on the bottom of these stairs, than any other day. 

“It’s-“ Akira stared right back at Ryuji and his eyes were fleeting from one eye to the other, to his nose and lips, and Ryuji felt tingles on every part of his body that Akira’s eyes lingered on. The black haired boy huffed out an annoyed breath and turned fully towards Ryuji. 

“What the hell,” he whispered, looking almost mesmerised. His grey eyes were asking unsaid questions and he leaned forward, closing the gap between their lips. 


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the rating was changed a while back, and this is why.  
> I'll stop with the smut warnings; you already know the drill by know- don't like, don't read, my lovelies.  
> Now for the ones who are comfortable with it; sit back and enjoy the show.  
> *dims the lights, draws the curtains*

Akira's lips felt warm against Ryuji's despite the cold air surrounding the pair. The blond seemed almost in a trance when Akira pressed his lips against his. 

He had closed his eyes but was probably too late to start responding, because Akira suddenly broke away and Ryuji’s eyes snapped open, searching Akira’s to follow his train of thought. 

“I, uh-“ Akira cleared his throat and brought a hand to his lips in astonishment. Ryuji could see a hint of insecurity creep into his eyes. 

_No, we can’t have that._

The blond looked at Akira’s lips and his own stretched into a faint smile. He closed his eyes and shook his head before raising his right hand and pulling Akira towards himself by the collar of his shirt. 

Now, Ryuji didn’t waste time as he confidently pressed his lips against Akira’s, earning a cut-off hum from the back of the black haired boy’s throat. The blond felt butterflies awaken in his stomach as Akira’s hands trailed Ryuji’s sides and settled on his hips. 

Ryuji snaked his other arm in Akira’s hair, finally feeling the soft curls wrap around his fingers. He gently tugged on the strands, making the black haired boy gasp. 

Ryuji took this chance to deepen the kiss. He darted his tongue forward and Akira’s lips opened compliantly to let him in. The blond tightened his hold on Akira’s front part of the shirt to keep himself grounded. Everything surrounding him blurred away and all he could focus on was Akira’s mouth and the boy’s hands, which were currently fiddling with the hem of his shirt. 

He rubbed his fingers against Akira’s scalp, already finding this to be the raven’s sweet spot. The boy flicked his tongue against Ryuji’s roof and the tickling feeling made Ryuji rumble into the kiss. He felt Akira’s lips quirk upwards in a smile and Ryuji’s mouth soon followed suit. 

The black haired boy broke off the kiss again, only to hide his face in Ryuji’s neck and trail lingering kisses against the side of it. Ryuji gasped softly and leaned back, exposing his neck more for Akira to get better access. 

“Should we… go somewhere else?” The blonde stuttered as Akira sneaked a cold hand under the other’s shirt, his soft fingers gently trailing up and down his toned stomach. 

Akira hummed noncommittally and separated his mouth from the blond’s neck for an inch, only to raise his head to Ryuji’s ear and flick his tongue against the shell of it. Ryuji shuddered and gripped Akira’s shirt tighter. 

“I don’t know, should we?” Akira murmured quietly into Ryuji’s ear and the blond shut his eyes tight, sparks erupting behind his eyelids. He snapped his eyes open, trying to take in his surroundings. His mind finally caught up to the fact that they were sitting in front of Futaba’s house, kissing under the dim light of the street lamps. 

He turned his attention towards Futaba’s house and he drew his eyebrows together in confusion. 

“Hey, what’s up with the lights?” 

Akira sighed, unlatching himself from Ryuji’s neck and the blond already missed the contact, the only thing still keeping him sane was the lingering touches of Akira’s palms against his stomach. 

“It’s Futaba. She’s telling us to get off her porch.” 

Ryuji now discerned the rhythmical flickers of Sakura’s front house lamp and he snorted, rubbing his hand on his neck in awkwardness. Akira’s eyes hungrily trailed Ryuji’s movements and Ryuji stopped in his tracks. 

“Wait. You deciphered that while we were kissing?” 

Akira blinked a couple of times before tightening his lips together in an attempt not to laugh. 

“Well, she was insistent,” Akira started and Ryuji’s confused stare only grew. 

“I still wouldn’t have noticed. How the…” He looked around and Akira chuckled quietly. He lowered his head while his grey eyes stayed trained on Ryuji’s brown ones. 

“Let’s just say I had to learn how to pay better attention to my surroundings after you started taking most of it away on a daily basis,” Akira said nonchalantly, apparently oblivious to the way the sentence almost made Ryuji choke and die on the spot. 

The black haired boy slowly stood up, stretching out his arm for Ryuji to take and the boy mindlessly accepted it, his brain still not catching up. 

“R- right,” he cleared his throat before snapping out of his reverie and looking at the raven with a shocked and slightly offended look on his face. “Whoa, that was smooth, what the hell, Akira.” 

He stared suspiciously in Akira’s eyes before groaning. “I should go home, though.” He grumbled, looking at his phone screen in discontent.

“Don’t,” Akira cut in, shuffling on his feet. “You can sleep at my place.” He looked at the blond with now slightly unsure eyes and Ryuji’s heart stammered in his chest. 

“That’d be fine?” 

“Yes! Perfectly!” Akira cleared his throat and Ryuji could physically feel the awkwardness descending down from the sky to grace them with its presence. “That is if you want to.” 

The raven shrugged before turning towards the house, his eyes glaring at one of the cameras. “Oh, shut it, Futaba!” 

Ryuji scrunched his eyebrows, watching the lights flicker one last time before shutting off completely. 

“That’s what I thought,” Akira grumbled and Ryuji couldn’t help but snicker before taking Akira’s hand in his own and grinning from ear to ear, letting the overflowing joy take him by storm. 

“It’s fine by me if it’s fine by you,” he grinned and Akira’s lips stretched in a smile in response, before the blond grabbed his phone and dialled his mother’s phone number. 

“But I gotta call my ma first, I told her I’d be home by-“ He flicked his eyes towards the glowing screen. “Three hours ago.” 

He waited for a few beeps before hearing his mom’s voice flow out of the speakers. 

“Hi honey, where are you?” 

“Hi mom, I got caught up at Futaba’s, sorry to worry you,” he cringed. 

“That’s fine love, as long as you’re okay, thank you for calling. Are you coming home now?” 

“I uhm-“ The blond’s eyes flicked to Akira, who was patiently waiting for the boy to finish his conversation. “I’ll actually be staying at Akira’s today if that’s fine?” He told his mother with a bit less surety than he wanted and he could practically see his mom’s wheels turning in her head. 

“That’s fine, honey. Maybe stop by your house later tomorrow, hm?” Ryuji could hear her teasing from the other end of the line. “You know your old mother gets lonely fast if she doesn’t have anyone to nag.” 

Ryuji smiled involuntarily, “Will do, ma. G’night.” 

“Night, sweetie. And be careful. And safe,” Kanae finished gently, cutting the call short. 

Ryuji lowered his hand slowly, huffing out a laugh and pocketing the phone before looking up at Akira. 

“I guess I’m staying at your place tonight,” Akira grinned at the proclamation and the pair made their way towards the already closed café with fast steps. 

The air was crackling between them with the growing tension and Ryuji could feel the ends of his fingers tingling with the need to touch the raven. Anywhere. Everywhere. Right now. 

His mind was buzzing with undiscovered possibilities and as they entered the warm space of the café, Ryuji found himself being pressed against the front door. The bell jingled violently with the force of Akira closing the door shut and trapping the blond between the cold surface and his own swiftly heating body. 

Ryuji groaned as Akira’s lips attacked his own, granting entrance to his tongue. His knees almost buckled as the taller boy pushed his legs between Ryuji’s own, the delicious friction making Ryuji’s stomach clench and his pants grow tighter. 

“Ahn, Akira-“ He inhaled sharply as the raven trailed open-mouthed kisses down Ryuji’s neck and bit down on the skin where his neck met his shoulder before gently kissing the same spot. 

Ryuji snaked his arms around Akira’s torso and slightly dug his nails into the soft skin of his back, the raven moaning quietly in response. 

“Let’s go upstairs,” Akira whispered, tangling their fingers together and gently pulling the dazed blond behind him, towards his room. 

At the top of the stairs, Akira turned around, smirking at the blond. Ryuji’s stomach clenched at the sight in front of him. Akira’s hair was a mess, his curls sticking in all directions, his lips red and eyes blown wide, taking in the other’s every move. 

Ryuji hissed, closing the space between them and latching onto raven’s lips once again, blindly leading them to the couch. He grabbed at his own jacket still sitting on Akira’s shoulders, and he latched his fingers to the fabric, throwing the offending jacket on the floor and gripping Akira’s biceps to steady them. 

When the backs of Akira’s knees bumped the edge of the couch, he gently sat down, leading the blond after him and never breaking their contact. Ryuji instinctively sat in Akira’s lap, their chests pressed tightly together and Akira hummed with pleasure, one hand cupping Ryuji’s ass cheek. 

Ryuji gasped and bucked his hips, their growing erections rubbing together and sending them into a world of pleasure. The blond lowered his head and bit Akira’s collarbone before sucking lightly on the skin. 

“Oh, fu-“ Akira’s words were lost at the back of his throat as his hips lifted to rub against Ryuji’s aching length, sending Ryuji into a haze. 

“Jesus-“ Ryuji groaned, throwing his head back in delirium and Akira hummed in agreement before he seemed to snap out for a second to laugh. 

“Nope, just me,” Akira kissed Ryuji passionately, his lips drawn in a smile and Ryuji grumbled in dissatisfaction. 

“Oh, fuck you,” the blond nipped at Akira’s lip to get rid of the black haired boy’s smile, but his lips seemed to only stretch more. 

Akira bucked his hips upwards, blurring Ryuji’s mind in the process. “Yes please,” he whispered in Ryuji’s ear, making the blond shiver helplessly against him. 

He groaned in annoyance and steadied himself in Akira’s lap by clenching his thigh muscles and pushing Akira back against the backrest, rubbing their clothed dicks together in the process. He tugged at Akira’s shirt and the boy got the message, helping Ryuji take his shirt off. 

The blond broke off their kissing to look at Akira and he bit his lip at the sight of his dishevelled form, his chest heaving heavily, a red mark blooming at his collarbone. He canted his hips forward, his torso snaking in the process enticingly. 

“Ah, damn,” Akira inhaled sharply and bit his own lip, looking up at Ryuji through half-lidded eyes that made Ryuji glow with pride. 

Ryuji was getting embarrassingly close already, and he stopped moving his hips and started kissing the curly haired boy beneath him, but Akira broke free from the kiss and looked Ryuji dead in the eyes. 

He trailed his hands up to Ryuji’s hips, firmly closing his grip on them while making sure not to hurt the other. “Nope, none of that, Ryuji.” Akira bucked his hips, watching the blond groan. 

“Ah- Akira, no, I’ll-“ The blond rested his head on Akira’s shoulder, burying his fingers in the black locks and pulling on them, eliciting a moan from Akira. 

“That’s- the point. Now that you’re finally here-“ Akira broke of that sentence and instead latched his teeth on to Ryuji’s earlobe before whispering raggedly, “Come on, Ryuji, I got you.” 

That was all it took for Ryuji, and he moaned brokenly as he came in his pants, his hips still bucking with the aftershocks of the orgasm, sending Akira over the edge right after him with the intensity of their cores rubbing together. 

The black haired boy blissfully leaned back against the backrest, Ryuji still littering small kisses down his collarbone and breathing heavily. 

They waited for a few moments for the high to settle down, basking in the comfortable silence before Akira broke it. “Would you like to go on a date with me?” he asked, leaning back to take a proper look at Ryuji. 

The blond stilled, raising his eyebrows in shock, his eyes widening for a fraction. Then his face broke out in a grin and he nodded, looking at the black haired boy with glee in his eyes. He saw Akira’s form relax, probably holding the tension in his body unknowingly. 

“Sure, I’d love that,” suddenly he shifted in Akira’s lap where he was still sitting and groaned, burying his face in Akira’s neck. The wet and uncomfortable feeling in his pants grew and he lifted himself up slightly. By the look on Akira’s face, the other was going through the same irritating sensations. 

Ryuji sighed, standing up and brushing his fingers through his hair, Akira following the gesture despite himself. 

“Let’s go to the bathhouse,” Akira sighed, shuffling to his drawer and taking out a pair of fresh boxer shorts and two oversized shirts. He threw the garments at Ryuji’s face and the blond huffed out a laugh, already making his way downstairs. 

Akira walked behind him, his steps light on the stairs, “So, how about this Thursday? Are you free?” 

Ryuji involuntarily smiled, glad he had his back turned away from Akira to mask the faint blush creeping onto his face. 

“I do, yeah.” They opened the door and stepped outside, shivering as the cold air hit their nether regions, making Ryuji click his tongue in annoyance. “Oh, but I’m going to Ann’s on Thursday too, if that’s okay.” 

Akira hummed, “Sure, we can go out after. I want to see her again soon, too.” Akira hummed happily and caught up to Ryuji, gently brushing the knuckles of their hands together. 

Ryuji got the message and tangled their fingers together as they entered the bathhouse to get themselves clean. After paying- which Akira was adamant to do for Ryuji too- they made their way to the hot baths, turning away from each other like a pair of embarrassed teenagers who DIDN’T just come into their pants by dry humping, to take their clothes off. 

“Do you really have to go meet that guy tomorrow?” Akira grumbled, lowering himself in the hot water, Ryuji following soon after. 

“What, Daisuke?” Ryuji looked at Akira confusedly as the boy stared at the water with a forlorn expression. 

“Yep, him.” 

“Uhm, well… No? but-“ The blond’s eyes widened and he shifted to look at Akira more closely. “Why?” 

“It’s nothing, just-“ Akira sneaked a glance towards Ryuji, now grinning from ear to ear with a triumphant look on his face. Akira scrunched his nose in annoyance, glaring at Ryuji, though when the stare finally travelled the distance between them, the effect was already lost. “Stop that. I see you, and you should stop.” 

Ryuji’s grin only grew wider, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What I know is someone’s a bit jealous, aren’t they?” 

Akira looked in the other direction, “Now _I_ don’t know what you’re talking about.” He huffed as he heard Ryuji laugh. 

“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me,” Ryuji grinned before sobering up. “Hey, I’ll be fine. He’s a really swell dude. He did look like he knew a lot about the goings on in the house, so it’ll be useful for us to talk to him. And besides,” he waited a moment before moving his hand, making a wave that splashed Akira in the face, earning a choked gasp from the black haired boy. “I’m already going on a date with someone else.” 

Akira finally looked at him properly, a shocked expression on his face. Ryuji was still grinning like a madman, making Akira chuckle. 

“Pfft, shut up,” the curly haired boy shook his head in exasperation before waving his hand and returning with a splash of his own, which only made Ryuji laugh harder. “I wasn’t even worried.” He grumbled after a moment, more to himself than Ryuji, but the blond heard him nonetheless. 

“Sure you weren’t,” Ryuji sing sang, doing a dead man’s float, making Akira stutter and turn away, the towel on Ryuji’s waist looking dangerously close to unravelling. 

“Well, I’d say we’re done. We’ve fed your ego more than enough for today, don’t you think?” Akira grumbled, shuffling through the water to stand by Ryuji’s still floating body. 

“What? I didn’t hear you,” Ryuji put his hand to his ear, still submerged in the water. 

Akira huffed, placing his palms against Ryuji’s chest and pushing him down. He looked with a satisfied smile at Ryuji’s betrayed face as the blond stood up in the water, coughing slightly after being forced to drink half of the bathhouse water. 

“Hey! Come here! You’re not getting away!” Yelled the shorter boy, looking at Akira’s back as the black haired boy already made halfway out of the water, cackling in the process.

After drying up, they made their way back towards the café, the night air already doing a fair job of biting at their skin, the oversized shirts probably not the best clothes to wear for the back streets. 

Coming upstairs, Ryuji turned towards the couch to lay down there, but Akira stopped him with a hand around his elbow. 

“What’re you doing? Get in the bed.” Akira frowned. “I don’t want you to sleep on the couch.” 

Ryuji stuttered, but Akira shook his head, dismissing any complaints. “No, I’m not gonna have you sleeping on the couch. I’ll sleep there. You have work tomorrow, anyway. You’ll need rest more than me.” 

“Well, let’s at least share. I don’t want your back to hurt in the morning.” 

Akira glanced sideways, reding Ryuji’s expression carefully before shrugging his shoulders. “Fine by me. It’s not like it’s the first time we slept in the same bed, right?” The black haired boy winked in his direction before shuffling to bed and leaving enough place for Ryuji to lie down next to him. 

The blond followed suit and after a few shuffling moments, they opted to Akira being the small spoon, Ryuji silently revelling in the faint smell of shampoo in the boy’s hair. 

_Yeah, we’ve done this before. But it’s different now._ Ryuji calmed his breathing, trying to match it to the boy in his arms as best as he could, and soon his eyes closed, sleep overtaking him.

When Ryuji woke up, the sun was already shining through the curtains. His legs were tangled with Akira’s and the sheet between them scraped uncomfortably against his thighs. He sat up in the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Looking at his phone screen, he noticed it was already nine in the morning. 

If he wanted to meet Daisuke before the start of his shift, he had to get on the train in an hour. 

He had to message Daisuke about his time of arrival. He fished through his jacket pockets to find Daisuke’s number and typed the series on his phone. 

**Ryuji:** Hey, it’s Riku. I’ll be at the Watanabe household at around eleven, that fine by you? 

He sighed, putting down his phone to run his fingers through his hair but was soon warned of a new message. 

**Daisuke:** Sounds perfect. Wait for me at the front and we’ll go grab a bite to eat. :) 

**Ryuji:** Sure, see you there! 

He groaned before looking at the still sleeping figure beside him. Akira had turned on his stomach in the middle of the night and was currently clutching his pillow with both his hands. His shirt had ridden up, exposing his back, the lower part covered with birthmarks. 

Ryuji felt entranced and his hand moved without thinking. His fingers carefully traced the dark spots littering Akira’s smooth skin. His thinking was cut short when the boy flinched under his touch, slowly turning around to look at the blond. 

Ryuji felt his cheeks heat up, and he found himself clearing his throat and awkwardly looking away from the black mop of hair beside him. 

“Mornin’,” Akira croaked, reviving the butterflies in Ryuji’s chest. “What time is it?” 

“It’s nine, not exactly a morning anymore,” Ryuji chuckled, watching the curly haired boy turn around to take his glasses off the nightstand and put them on his nose. “I’ll have to go soon.” He tried not to show any remorse in his words, but couldn’t help the escaped sigh. 

“How long do we have, then?” 

“’Bout an hour,” Ryuji stood up, taking off his shirt in the process. He felt the black haired boy’s eyes rake up and down his torso, and he didn’t need to turn around to know there was a hungry look waiting for him. 

“I’ll have to give you some clothes,” Akira shuffled to his feet and opened up his closet, throwing Ryuji a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt. Luckily, the boys were almost the same height, Akira taller only for about an inch. 

“Thanks.” 

Akira nodded, turning around to put on his own clothes. Ryuji cleared his throat and when they were both dressed, they made their way downstairs. v 

Akira went behind the bar, already boiling water for his morning coffee. 

Sojiro was standing behind the counter, humming to himself and reading the newspaper, not paying attention to his surroundings, although when the pair of boys made themselves present, he acknowledged their existence with a questioning stare and a brow raise. 

Ryuji sat on the chair at the counter, fiddling with the hem of Akira’s shirt. It was a bit too tight for his liking, especially the collar, but he didn’t want to complain. 

“What can I get you?” Akira called over his shoulder, shuffling the coffee boxes around the shelves. 

“Just hot chocolate, please. Can I help you with anything? Need me to cook breakfast?” Ryuji cocked his head to the side, watching Akira work around the small space. 

The curly haired boy shook his head, “Nah, it’s fine. I’ll cook today. Just sit there and look pretty.” He smirked at the blond and Ryuji chuckled, looking a bit alarmed by the… compliment? 

The blond saw Sojiro raise his eyebrow from his peripheral vision, but promptly turned his head away from the old man, hiding his blush. He heard him chuckle shortly before stepping around the counter to greet one of the customers entering the café. 

When Akira put down Ryuji’s plate of scrambled eggs, the boy couldn’t help but salivate at the mouth. Although he could probably make them more delicious, nothing could top the emotions overtaking him because it was _Akira_ who made him breakfast. 

The curly haired boy cleared his throat as he sat down next to Ryuji, avoiding eye contact. 

“I know you could probably make them a lot bett-“ His sentence was cut short by Ryuji putting his hand up in a short motion. 

“No way, this is perfect, thanks man,” He smiled at Akira and the boy returned the smile, looking down at his food and they ate quietly. 

When the time of Ryuji’s departure started nearing, he groaned, grimacing at the clock on the wall. 

“I’ll have to go now.” 

Akira nodded, “I’ll walk you to the station, then.” 

“What? No, you don’t hafta, I know you like sleeping in. Go back to bed, catch some more zs.” 

“Psh, I’d much rather see you off. C’mon,” Akira turned on his chair and pulled Ryuji behind him. 

They said goodbye to Sojiro and taking Ryuji’s jacket, left the small café. 

“So, what do you think you’ll find out from that Tao guy?” Akira snuck a glance towards Ryuji, which did not go unnoticed. 

The blond shrugged, “Dunno. Maybe nothing, but maybe he knows something. At least what Watanabe’s like to his employees, or what I have to look out for.” 

Akira nodded his head, bunching his palms into his jeans pockets. 

“Alright, but still be careful. Message me after you’re done. Or if something happens. I’ll be at Futaba’s, so you can call her, too.” 

“Okay, mom.” Ryuji rolled his eyes and Akira huffed in reply, bumping their shoulders together. They were nearing the train station and Ryuji found himself slowing down his pace almost subconsciously. 

_God, I really don’t feel like going._ He grimaced as Akira sent him a questioning stare over his shoulder. 

“So, the date on Thursday still stands?” 

Akira nodded, “Yeah, if it’s fine by you.” 

“Alright, then we’ll talk later. My train’s here.” Ryuji kicked into the pavement in annoyance and started making his way towards the back car. 

Suddenly a hand grabbed him by the elbow and he was yanked back, but not so much to cause pain. His breath caught in his throat as Akira slotted their lips together in a chaste kiss and Ryuji found himself wrapping his hand around the other’s neck. 

Akira was once again the one to break the kiss, and they were left standing on the station, staring into each other’s eyes. Ryuji’s eyes fleeted from Akira’s right to left, watching the silver colours swirl and glitter under the morning sun. 

“Don’t forget me, alright?” Akira whispered and Ryuji blinked a few times before grinning at the curly haired boy. 

“How could I? After that? Not a chance.” He walked forward and the hand on his shoulder let go, Ryuji already missing the contact. 

He turned around to look at Akira over his shoulder, waving once more in a goodbye and stepping on the train, the doors closing right behind him and taking him away from where he really wanted to be at that moment. 


	22. Chapter 22

Akira was shuffling restlessly around the room, occasionally taking a broom into his hands and sweeping the floor. He was shifting between smiling to nothing in particular on the bed and cleaning the room to keep himself busy. And it was working, if you asked him. He managed to put a pile of clothes on his seat from the floor where they were lying before. 

He still felt the press of Ryuji’s lips on his and he could not focus on anything else for more than two minutes, but he tried. He had been downstairs three times already and Sojiro was starting to look at him funnily, so Akira figured it probably wasn’t the best idea to run downstairs the fourth time to get himself a glass of water. 

His phone rang into the quiet of the room just when Akira plopped down on the bed to hide his face under the pillow. He groaned and stood up quickly, his head spinning from the sudden loss of blood in his brain and stumbled towards the couch where he had left his phone. 

The screen was presenting a picture of a smiling Futaba next to a row of her favourite comics, her eyes sparkling and smile stretched out across her whole face. Akira sighed and picked up the phone. 

“Hello?” 

“Akira, why aren’t you here yet?” He could hear the impatience in her voice. The curly haired boy frowned in confusion, looking down at his feet as he spoke. 

“What? Where? And why?” 

The redhead let out a slow and weary sigh, making Akira think her lungs were of a sumo wrestler or a tuba player. 

“Here, as in- my house? You know Ryuji’s been on his date for the past fifteen minutes, right?” Akira scowled. He really didn’t need a reminder. 

“it’s not a date. And what do you want me to do?” 

“Weeell…” Futaba drawled, her voice colouring into one trying to slip innuendos into a poor and innocent conversation. “If he’s trying to extract information about Watanabe, then I’d say it’s okay for certain partners in crime of his to listen in on the conversation, don’t you think?” 

The boy pinched the bridge of his nose, “In what world, Futaba? He’ll tell us everything we need to know once he gets back.” 

“What if he doesn’t remember everything? You know full well we could replace his brain with a peanut and it wouldn’t make a difference.” 

“I take offence. Don’t talk like he didn’t do an awesome job yesterday,” Akira stalked down the stairs and waved in Sojiro’s direction, not even turning his gaze to look at him as he hastily opened the front door and started walking towards the Sakura household. 

“One hit wonder, maybe?” He heard his cousin’s voice starting to crack with a hint of a smile. 

“You better hope not, because you’ll be the one making sure everything turns out okay if he fails and I’m pretty sure you don’t want that baggage.” 

Futaba snickered and he could hear a faint tapping on the keyboard from the other end of the line just as Akira started walking up the stairs towards the front entrance. He put his hand on the doorknob and the door gave way easily, clicking back in place after Akira stepped inside. He took off his shoes and turned off the connection before walking into Futaba’s dimly lit room. 

The girl in question had her hair bunched up into a messy bun, which did practically nothing to hold it in place, the strands of her shorter hair still falling out of the hairdo. She sighed contentedly, swirling in her chair. 

“It’s so fun riling you up. Haven’t done it in a long time, now that I think about it.” 

Akira smirked and plopped down on Futaba’s bed, “don’t use Ryuji to do it.” 

“That reminds me, how did it go yesterday?” 

Akira started to fidget. Should he tell her and get it over with, or keep it to himself and risk being teased for the rest of the day? He sighed before flipping a switch in his head and putting on a confident smirk. 

“We made out for like two hours,” he started kind of tame, “and lemme tell you, man, he’s good. I can’t remember when was the last time I had a make-out session that intense. And his hands in my hair, ugh, I could do that for hours.” He swiftly glanced at the redhead in front of him and he had to stop himself from bursting into laughter. 

She wasn’t even trying to conceal her emotions anymore. Her face was scrunched up, her upper lip slightly rose as her nostrils flared in discomfort. Paired up with her big glasses, her face looked like one of a Shih Tsu drenched from the rain. Akira couldn’t stop himself from continuing. “Then we moved to my couch, which now has stains on it, so maybe don’t sit on it the next time you’re at my place.” 

The redhead visibly shuddered at that, turning back in her chair and looking at the computer screen in front of her. 

“Eww, there was no need to tell me _all_ the details.” She shuddered again, “ugh, now I’ll have that visual in my head ‘till the day I die.” 

Akira threw his head back in a laugh, “don’t worry, there are no stains on the couch.” He saw her visibly relax from the back. His mouth started pulling upwards at the corners, “we came in our pants.” 

Futaba made a row of worrisome choking sounds and turned back towards him, a betrayed expression on her face as she picked up a pencil case from her table and launched it at Akira’s face, full speed, her hand apparently holding onto more anger and pent-up feelings than her brain ever could. Only thanks to his quick reflexes did Akira manage to dodge the attack and the pencil case fell on the bed after a quick and troublingly loud kiss with the wall behind his head. 

“Ew, Akira, shut up! I don’t want to hear it!” 

The curly haired boy smirked. _Mission accomplished. No more questions for me._ He raised his hands in the air in a sign of defeat, chuckling lightly before standing up to look at Futaba’s computer screens. 

“Alright, alright, I yield, sorry.” 

Futaba made a sound at the back of her throat but didn’t pay any more attention to the boy standing next to her. 

“So let me get this straight. You want to listen in on Ryuji’s conversation for- what reason do you have for that again?” 

The redhead shrugged, trapping one of her ears under her headphones. “I’m bored. Not really much else to do here. And seriously- do you not think it’d be smart if at least I listened and tried to remember as much a possible?” 

Akira shifted his weight uncomfortably from one leg to another. “I don’t know, it’s not right in my opinion.” He scratched his neck. “But on the other hand, I know you don’t care what my opinion is, and that you’ll still listen even if I tell you no. So-“ He cut himself off before turning around and sitting on the swivel chair they brought into her room the other day for this exact reason. 

“That’s perfect, I’m glad we’re on the same page,” Futaba clapped and turned on another computer screen. On one of them, she was watching a TV show Akira did not recognize, while the others were filled with a bunch of windows the girl was quickly shuffling through. 

The boy sighed, taking a bag of chips in his hands and leaning back against the backrest. “Well, then turn the volume up, so I can hear too. Might as well make sure he’s safe.” He grumbled and Futaba nodded, unplugging her headphones. 

A rustling sound overwhelmed the speakers above their heads before the voices started getting clearer and Akira could hear Ryuji’s voice loud and clear, followed by another deeper bass that made him scowl. 

“How are we even listening to this? Did you plant a bug in Ryuji’s jacket that he doesn’t know of? Or me, for that matter?” He asked Futaba with accusation in his tone. 

Futaba shook her head, “No, it’s connected to his phone. Much easier,” she sent his cousin a sideways glance. “Would’ve thought you’ve spent enough time with me to know that already.” 

Akira blinked a few times. _Oh. Of course. Duh._

They listened for about fifteen minutes, but nothing was happening. The pair was happily chatting away without ever breaching the subject of working for Watanabe. Akira’s scowl deepened with every minute, while Futaba’s gaze started drifting towards the right computer screen, where last five minutes of the TV show were playing. 

Even though Akira’s heart fluttered every time he heard Ryuji’s excited voice and the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but turn up a little with every funny remark the blond uttered, he felt a bit annoyed that the pair wasn’t talking about anything related to their mission. 

He clicked his tongue and turned towards the redhead. “They’re not talking about anything important. Unless finding out which classes Ryuji is attending, -which by the way, I already know- and listening to the other guy blab on about his band is somehow related. In which case, please, enlighten me.” 

Futaba sent him an annoyed sideways glance. “Oh, stop it, Akira. You know they have to get to know each other better if Ryuji wants to ask him about Daisuke’s very influential boss and expect him to trust the blondie. Now, I know I made fun of your man half an hour ago, but you’re just being unreasonable. Get that stick out of your ass before it starts putting down roots and start trusting him.” 

Akira turned his head away from the girl with an annoyed huff. Something in the back of his mind was singing to him that he knew the girl was right. He was only getting his panties in a twist because of his jealousy. And he never really had a problem with that. Not since… 

“I know, I just-“ Akira twisted his hands in his lap and muttered. “He makes me… feel things. Which hasn’t happened since Ethan.” His voice was barely a whisper, but it made all the tension seeping from his cousin die out immediately. The girl turned her head towards him and her eyes filled with unspoken anguish and worry. 

“But he’s not Ethan, Akira. He’s not.” Futaba sighed, taking in the black-haired boy’s posture. He knew she didn’t let herself be overwhelmed with pity, as it would most probably work more against her than with her. He appreciated her concerns and knew she was right. The truth of those words was starting to bubble up from the pit of his stomach and he sighed, fighting to reel in the emotions and keep them closed off. 

“I know.” He rubbed his cheek with his hand and smiled at Futaba, albeit weakly. The redhead smiled back and stretched out her arm to tap his hand in an assuring gesture before reaching for the bag of chips still laying in his hands and taking a handful of the salty food. They turned their faces towards the computers and started paying attention to the ongoing conversation. Still, nothing important was being said. 

Futaba was still listening closely when the boy’s mind started to wander away again. He knew this kind of jealousy didn’t suit him and that he had to get rid of it. After all, it was just uncertainties from the past relationship catching up to him. He scowled. _That’s it. No more jealousy. Not for me._ His mind started swimming away, wondering how he should go about saving the situation before it starts to become unhealthy when Futaba’s posture perked up and got his attention. 

He quickly tuned back into the conversation, trying to find out what he missed. The redhead’s smile was starting to spread and she whistled, looking at Akira appreciatively. “Not a one hit wonder, no. You got yourself a good one.” 

_“-take it he’s very busy, right? I mean, he left as soon as he met me.”_ Akira smiled almost instinctively as the sound of Ryuji’s voice came through the speakers. He could almost picture his shining brown eyes, open and full of fire while he talked. 

_“Right. Boss isn’t at home a lot of the time. He is mostly only there to sleep and eat, and even that he sometimes doesn’t have the time to do. He’s a very busy man.”_

Akira furrowed his brows. Daisuke’s voice sounded almost animated as he spoke, and even through speakers, he could tell the boy really relied on the old man. He absentmindedly tapped his fingers on his thigh, the sound of Futaba crunching pieces of chips between her teeth setting him on edge. 

“Hey. Eat quieter, will you?” He glanced at the now offended-looking girl, but nevertheless, she closed her mouth and continued listening to the conversation. 

_“You uh- seem to hold him in high esteem,”_ Ryuji cleared his throat and Akira’s heart swelled with pride. _He figured it out at the same time as I._

Futaba snorted next to him. “What are these words? Where did our vulgar boy go?” Akira only rolled his eyes at the girl, though the question stuck in his mind and made him blink away the slight confusion. 

_“Well, I think it only right, he is soon going to be one of the most influential people in our country.”_

_Silence filled the room, Futaba stopped mid-crunch and even Ryuji seemed to run out of words for a moment before he continued._

__

__

_“I didn’t think of him as that successful,”_ he chuckled, his voice betraying the awkwardness he felt, although Akira and Futaba were probably the only ones hearing it. _“But is that the only reason you respect him that much?”_ He continued carefully and Akira was holding his breath as if the pair would be able to tell he was listening in on their conversation if he dared inhale. 

_“Well,”_ Daisuke cut himself off suddenly before continuing after an exhale, probably meant for calming him down. _“I think you will soon find out how much power he holds. He is amazing, given that he is capable of holding it and not letting it run rampant. And of course, he himself expects some level of respect. He is our boss, after all.”_

There was a moment of silence, which Akira pictured was filled with Ryuji nodding his head in understanding. 

_“So who takes care of the household when Mr Watanabe isn’t there?”_

_“Ah, that would be Mrs Abe, I believe you’ve already met her? She is his secretary. For the most part, she arranges his daily schedule and meetings.”_

_“For the most part?”_

_“Yes…”_ There was a pause and Akira inclined his head as he shared a questioning glance with Futaba, both of them more than ready for what more Daisuke had to say. “ _A while back she started taking care of even more important matters on his behalf, like his money matters and bank accounts.”_ Futaba grinned victoriously and pumped her fist in the air, while Akira’s face stretched out into a smile. He whistled appreciatively and resumed listening, while Futaba still celebrated. 

“Hey, calm down, this doesn’t mean anything yet,” he shushed her, although his grin betrayed the excitement washing over his body. She waved at him dismissively but shut up nonetheless, sitting up in the chair and lowering her weight on the heels of her feet. 

_“Ah, I understand. She kinda scares me, to be honest.”_ Akira heard Ryuji chuckle with a slight hint of embarrassment that Akira was proud to hear. _He’s a really good actor._

 _“She does seem rather strict, doesn’t she? But I guess you would need to be, given the high position she is in.”_ Daisuke’s voice flew out of the speaker, the low chuckle making Akira’s hair stand on end. 

_“So I’m guessing she’s the one boss trusts most?”_

_“You guessed correctly,”_ Futaba nodded to herself and started typing something on her computer. A moment later the picture of a woman popped up, and Akira looked at the screen with interest. The conversation changed its course from then on and Akira tuned it out, looking at Futaba, who was already gathering information on the secretary- if Akira’s suspicions were correct. 

“Alright, so…” Futaba started humming to herself, her fingers expertly dancing across the keyboard. “Ochako Abe, Female, 35 years old…” She started murmuring and Akira soon couldn’t hear any more of what she was saying, so he focused back on Ryuji’s voice. 

The pair started leaving for work, their joined laughter mixing with the shuffling of Ryuji’s phone in his pocket before Futaba ceremoniously clicked a combination of buttons and the sound from the speakers died out, leaving the room quiet. 

Futaba sighed contentedly, turning towards her cousin. “He’s not that bad, gotta admit. Blondie’s got some tricks up his sleeve. We’ve got a new lead, now.” She smiled and slapped Akira on the arm. 

“Yeah,” Akira’s mouth was pulled up with the smallest of smiles, “I guess he does.” 

The room was once again filled with comfortable silence, and the pair basked in it for a while before Akira’s bladder started informing him of a new need he had to take care of. He sighed and stood up, stretching his arms in the process. 

“Be right back, I gotta go take a piss,” He walked out of the room and into the bathroom, smiling when he heard Futaba call behind him. 

“Have fun and think of me!” 

“Gross!” 

When Akira came back from the toilet, Futaba was still sitting on her heels, gently turning her body to make the swivel chair turn with her. She was biting her lip and her eyebrows were drawn together, typing something on her phone absentmindedly. Akira sat back down on her bed and pulled his phone out of his pant pocket. 

**Akira:** Good job today! 

Almost as soon as he hit send, the reply from his favourite blond came. 

**Ryuji:** What about? 

Akira inhaled swiftly. _Goddamn. I forgot he doesn’t know. Damn it Futaba!_

 **Akira:** Ah… Futaba listened in on your conversation with Daisuke. I was there for it. You did really good. 

**Ryuji:** She whAT?! You whAT?!? 

**Ryuji:** Jeez… Honestly, I’m not even surprised anymore. But hey, thanks! (◕‿◕✿)

 **Ryuji:** Do I get a prize? /╲/\╭( ͡° ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° ͡°)╮/\╱\

Akira snorted, his face crinkling with mischief. 

**Akira:** Not with those emojis, you don’t. 

**Ryuji:** Oh. Well, I’d send you a nude instead, but I have to be outside kneading bread in about two minutes. 

Akira’s saliva got stuck in his windpipe, and sudden coughing fit took over his body. The near-death experience of Futaba’s cousin didn’t move her out of her chair one bit, as she continued watching the TV show playing on the screen. _When will I get used to this boy’s flirting?_ He felt heat rising in his cheeks and he self-consciously scratched his nose trying to think of the best reply. 

**Akira:** You really do know how to charm a guy. 

**Akira:** But, when you get off work, you can come over to my place and we can see what could be done as a prize…

 **Ryuji:** Damnit. I’d love to, but I promised my mom I’d come home early today. 

**Ryuji:** You, however… ( ͡°( ͡° ͜ʖ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ʖ ͡°) ͡°)

 **Akira:** That’s worrisome… what about me? 

**Ryuji:** YOU can come to my place. 

**Ryuji:** You get on the same train as I do, straight from work, and we go to mine together. 

The black haired boy thought for a second. He technically _could_ go to Ryuji’s and hang out there… and it’s not like he had any other plans.

 **Akira:** Alright, I can do that

 **Ryuji:** Perfect! I have to go work now but don’t think for one second I won’t be thinking of you meanwhile. ༼ つ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° ༽つ

The boy snorted, covering half of his face with his hand in childlike embarrassment. 

**Akira:** Keep working on those emojis. 

He looked up from his phone and saw Futaba staring at him apprehensively. Her head was tilted sideways, a small smirk was gracing her lips and her brown eyes twinkled knowingly. Akira huffed out a breath. 

“What?” 

“Nothing, you just look like a smitten eight-year-old boy, that’s what.” She extended her leg and tried poking him with her toe, but her legs were too short and didn’t reach him, so Akira grinned victoriously. 

His hand darted upwards, looking at his reflexion in the phone’s screen. He scowled. “I do not.” 

The redhead snorted, standing up and stretching her arms over her head. “Whatever you say.” She yawned, focusing her eyes on the boy once again. “But seriously, what’s going on now? Are you two like, official? Together now? Anything?” 

Akira sighed before mumbling, “We’re something.” He shrugged, “We’re going on a date this Thursday, though I don’t think we’re considered a couple yet. Only figuring things out, I guess?” 

Futaba inclined her head to the side and nodded, “well, I’m glad you two have finally come to an understanding.” The curly haired boy smiled at her and they spent the rest of the day talking about nothing in particular and watching TV shows. When Futaba’s stomach started rumbling, it was time for the pair to head back to the café, where Sojiro made them both a bowl of curry. 

They sat down at the bar and started eating, Sojiro looking over them with a loving expression on his face. 

“Say, Akira, can you be the one to close up shop today? I have some errands to run.” 

Akira looked up at his uncle with a guilty expression. “I’ll actually be going to Ryuji’s today,” he looked at the clock on the wall, “In a few hours, so I won’t be able to.” 

Sojiro’s eyebrows rose, “You’ve been hanging out with this Ryuji fellow a lot lately. Is there anything I should know?” he asked with a meaningful glance and Akira almost ate his spoon while Futaba only snorted, answering in his stead. 

“They’re figuring things out,” she looked at her father pointedly before jabbing a finger in Akira’s side, making him twitch. 

Sojiro blinked a few times before resuming his drinking coffee. “Ah. Well, be safe,” he shrugged and Akira looked at him with an alarmed expression before nodding his head. 

Futaba cackled beside him and Akira sent her a scowl before both of them started eating the delicious food again. When they finished, they weren’t in the mood to move from their spots at the counter, so for the next hour, the café was filled with lively laughter and upbeat conversation. 

When it was time for him to go, Akira didn’t waste any time choosing what clothes to take with him. He just stuffed a pair of jeans and two shirts into his backpack, an oversized blue shirt he used for sleeping following the other garments. He grabbed his earphones and waved Sojiro and Futaba goodbye and ran towards the train station. He didn’t need to run but was just too excited to walk slowly. It seemed like the time of seeing Ryuji again couldn’t come soon enough. 

He jogged to the train station and got there five minutes early, which gave him just enough time to compose himself. 

**Akira:** Which car are you in? 

**Ryuji:** In the last one. Those are always the least cramped. 

Akira tapped his phone against his thigh and continued listening to music, although his mind was everywhere but. It seemed like centuries have gone by when the train Ryuji was on finally came, and with every step towards it, Akira’s heart beat faster. His breathing became shallower and as the car door opened, Akira’s legs moved almost on their own. He stepped into the humid and hot space of the car and started walking towards the last one. 

When he finally opened the last door, his eyes started scanning the compartment. Given that Ryuji’s blond hair stood out like a sore thumb, he wasn’t hard to find. As Akira’s black eyes met the chocolatey brown, his smile widened and his legs moved instantaneously to where the other boy was sitting. For a moment, both of were just looking at each other, not saying anything. Then Akira let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and embraced the grinning boy in front of him. 

The warmth of the solid body hugging him back made him sigh in relief and he smiled into Ryuji’s collar, whispering a hello and basking in the feeling of the other’s hands wrapped around his middle. 

“Hello there,” Ryuji whispered back gently, his voice betraying the huge smile the blond was sporting. “I’m guessing you missed me?” 

Akira huffed out a breathy laugh and loosened his grip on the other’s torso. “Oh, shut up, you’re so full of yourself.” He looked at the other boy and sure enough, the one was practically beaming with pride. 

“You love it,” Ryuji smirked, his eyes fleetingly taking in the black-haired boy’s features, stopping on his lips for a second before moving back to his eyes and searching them, the warmth in them radiating and making Akira’s blood rush to his face. “If it makes you feel any better, I missed you too.” he threw in and Akira huffed. 

“Only barely,” He sniffed indignantly and sat down, the other laughing and taking the chair next to him. 

“Well, that’s something,” Ryuji said conversationally and looked around, taking in the space surrounding them. Then he turned towards Akira, leaning his head so his mouth was close to the boy’s ear. “I want to kiss you so bad right now.” He whispered, the heat from his breath making Akira shudder. 

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, before turning his head to look at the blond. The boy’s eyes were darker than usual, all mischief gone from his features, only heat and lust left in its place. Akira forced himself not to look down at Ryuji’s lips because he knew that would be the end of it. If he looked anywhere else than Ryuji’s eyes, he’d lose it. And even that was starting to get tough. He almost subconsciously bit his bottom lip, which made Ryuji’s eyes fleet down to Akira’s mouth. A small throaty hum escaped the blond’s closed lips and Akira had to reel himself back to not mirror with one of his own. 

He closed his eyes to compose himself, “not now. Later. Alone.” He whispered back, loud enough only for Ryuji to hear. When he opened his eyes once more, Ryuji was still looking at him with that fiery gaze in his eyes but was biting his lip in a contemplating gesture. After a few more painfully long moments, the boy finally inhaled deeply and blinked a few times, clearing his eyes of that dark colour that made Akira’s heart burst like a tank of gasoline set on fire. 

“Alright.” Ryuji turned his head forwards, all his movements suddenly looking more mechanic, like he was trying to control his every movement. He turned his palm upside down on his thigh and Akira got the message right away. He slid his hand across his leg and gently put his palm into Ryuji’s, their fingers intertwining and making Akira’s head swim. “Later, then.” The blond glanced once more towards the black haired boy, the right corner of his lips turning up in an infinitesimal gesture of joy. 

Akira gave a slight nod and squeezed Ryuji’s hand once, receiving a relieved sigh in reply. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *clears throat* H- hello? Anyone there? *tumbleweed floats past*  
> I uh- apologize?  
> Life is hard and procrastinating is easy.  
> Here's the new chapter, which is- really not good enough for this long of a radio silence. Sorry XD  
> But I hope you're having a good day!  
> Potato, out


	23. Chapter 23

Ryuji nodded towards the stairs, “you can leave your stuff in my room and then meet me downstairs, I gotta go say hi to mom.” he grinned and Akira smiled in return, already dragging his backpack upstairs. 

Ryuji sighed and spun around to greet his mother in the kitchen. When he stepped inside, she was sitting at the breakfast bar, her glasses barely holding on to her nose as she intently read from a couple of papers before her. Ryuji walked up to her, making sure his steps were loud enough for her to hear so he didn’t startle her. 

“Heya,” He gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a warm hug before taking a step towards the coffee machine. She hummed in recognition, waving a hand towards her son but otherwise not acknowledging his presence. Ryuji took the already used mug beside Kanae and washed it in the sink. “What’s up?” 

He heard his mom release a heavy sigh behind his back. “Nothing much. I thought I would have a few days for us, but it turns out some papers still need to be filled out, so I decided to do that.” 

“Aren’t you overworking?” Ryuji frowned, boiling the water. “What happened to our time together?” 

Kanae tsked, looking above the rim of her glasses to shoot a glare that held no weight towards her son. “I’ll be fine, honey. Don’t mind me. I just have to take care of a couple of things and then I’ll have my vacation.” She rubbed her temples, perking up at the smell of coffee curling through the air in the kitchen.

She hummed contentedly and glanced at Ryuji, who was now leaning on the opposite end of the bar. “And our ‘time together’,” she made quotation marks with her hands, “would have been cut short anyway. If I’ve gathered correctly, Akira has come to sleep over, right?” 

She looked at Ryuji meaningfully and the boy couldn’t meet her gaze as heat started rising to his face. 

“I- yeah. Sorry.” 

“Ah, no, don’t apologize, sweetie. I like it that you made new friends. He can stay over anytime.” She tapped her fingers on the surface. “May I ask, what is going on? You’ve been spending a rather large amount of time with this boy. D’you have anything new to tell me? I see how you look at him.” 

Ryuji froze for a second before reanimating, “That’s-“ His explanation was cut short by a polite cough from the doorway. Ryuji took an involuntary step back as Akira’s black mop of hair appeared in the kitchen. Kanae swirled around, smiling gently to the boy and gesturing with her hands to the stool beside her. 

“Come, Akira, don’t just stand there.” 

Akira shuffled to the seat and smiled timidly. “Sorry for disturbing you. I hope I’m not a bother,” he scratched his neck awkwardly and Ryuji tried to repress a smile threatening to overtake his features. 

“Nonsense,” Kanae cooed, looking towards her son, alarming him with her piercing gaze. “What are you doing, just standing there? Bring Akira some coffee. You drink coffee, correct?” 

Akira nodded, “I do, but I had a cup before I came here, so you really don’t have to.” He looked at Ryuji. “But thank you.” 

“Then do you want some tea? Orange juice? Water?” The mother pushed on and Ryuji rolled his eyes in annoyance before grimacing with apologetic eyes towards Akira. 

“Water will be fine, then.” Akira nodded and Ryuji stepped over to the sink. 

“Oh, before I forget, I left you some leftovers in the fridge from my lunch. Although I did not expect Akira to come, so you will most probably not have enough.” She started putting her papers together, her voice authoritative. “Put your hands to good use and make some dinner for him, too. Or use it for your breakfast tomorrow.” She hummed and Ryuji groaned, placing the glass of water in front of Akira, who took it with a mischievous expression. 

“Yes mom,” Ryuji extended the o and scowled at his mother, who paid it no attention. 

“Ah, and I just remembered. I made some plans with some of my friends tonight, so I will not be home by late at night. We’re going to go see a movie and then talk in a café or two.” Ryuji frowned, searching Kanae’s expression for a hint of a lie.

He couldn’t remember her telling him about meeting them today and the woman’s face didn’t make it any easier for him to clear up his confusion. Her face was a stony mask and Ryuji sighed. 

“How come?” He asked despite himself and his mother shrugged. 

“Do I need a reason to meet with my friends? This was the only time we could all meet together. And after such a long time, too.” She gave a theatrical sigh and drank her coffee before silently standing up. “Now, I expect you boys to behave. No house parties while I’m away.” She pointed her finger at Ryuji. 

“And you say you know me,” he huffed crossing his arms. 

Kanae smiled, stepping forwards and lifting herself on her toes to give Ryuji a kiss on his temple in a goodbye. “More than you would think.” She smiled and waved at Akira, the boy waving in return before her figure disappeared around the corner. 

Ryuji looked at Akira with a confused expression before he sat down next to him. They stayed quiet for a while longer, just sitting in silence, Akira drinking the last of his water. After a few more minutes, they heard footsteps going downstairs and towards the front door. 

“And don’t stay up too long! You have work tomorrow!” The mother shouted from the doorway and Ryuji groaned, taking his face into his hands before responding. 

“We won’t, mom! Bye! Have fun!” 

“Bye honey! Love you!” 

“Love you too!” Ryuji huffed, hearing the front door close behind the despicable woman. He heard Akira chuckle beside him. “Sorry about that.” He grumbled into his hands, feeling Akira shift beside him. 

“Don’t be sorry. I think she’s an amazing mother.” Akira stated simply, not noticing the turmoil in Ryuji’s mind he just put a stop to with those few simple words. 

The blond sighed, standing up abruptly and smirking. “Yeah, well, she’s a handful.” 

Akira snorted, lifting a brow, “I was wondering where you get it from,” he stood up too, bumping Ryuji’s shoulder jokingly when the boy uttered a disapproving sound from the back of his throat. 

“Can’t believe how awful I am at picking friends,” Ryuji grinned before sobering up. “Whaddaya want to do now? We could watch a movie on the big screen, or play some video games in my room, if that’s fine by you,” He finished tentatively and Akira nodded. 

“A movie would be nice.” Ryuji clapped his hands and soon they were seated on the couch, comfortably extending their legs on a footrest and their shoulders barely touching. 

All of Ryuji’s previous bravery from the train had vanished with its departure and he was soon again thinking too much about where to put his limbs that suddenly felt too long for comfort. He took a few unnoticed deep breaths to calm his beating heart, but as soon as he succeeded in making it beat slower, it started speeding up again, giving the interval training plans a run for their money. 

When the movie started, he felt Akira relax beside him and he furiously tried to follow suit. After a few more minutes of radio silence between them, Ryuji’s heart finally started calming down, realizing that nothing was going to happen, no sweaty hand holding, no awkward snorts if he accidently fell asleep, no meteors crashing into his house. 

He snuck a glance towards the boy beside him, noticing Akira still looked as calm as ever, only slightly biting his lip in concentration as he watched the movie. Ryuji didn’t really pay attention to it, having to do too much with himself to worry about which chick was going to end up with the lead character in the end. Akira was much more interesting. 

The blue light emanating from the TV screen made pictures reflect in his glasses and his face was being showered in a dimmed light that made him look ethereal. Although he had an inkling feeling no one would find the sight as beautiful as he did, that did not stop the rushing feelings of warmth overtaking his body. 

Akira must have felt Ryuji’s eyes on him, because he decided to use this moment to look at the boy with a questioning gaze. Ryuji’s eyes widened slightly in alarm at being busted, but he quickly tried to regain his composure by clearing his throat. Akira inclined his head in an indication that he was paying attention. 

“Did you- Did you hear what mom and I were talking about? Before?” Ryuji asked awkwardly, returning his eyes to the TV so as not to meet Akira’s gaze. He felt Akira’s shoulders stiffen beside him and he quickly continued with explaining. “I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with it. I was just wondering. You were gone for a pretty long time. Came in at a pretty convenient one, too.” He finished lamely, waiting for Akira’s response. 

The boy in question sighed, scratching his shoulder and Ryuji’s gaze followed the movement with the corner of his eyes. 

“Yeah, I heard. And we have been spending pretty much every day with each other, she’s not wrong.” Akira’s voice was contemplative and Ryuji pursed his lips. 

“Yeah, that’s true. So what’s going on?” 

“With what?” Akira drew his eyebrows together, now looking at Ryuji head on. 

“Well… with us?” Ryuji searched the raven’s eyes. “Just wondering what to think about it. Or see how we want to explain it to others. So we’re both on the same page and all.” 

Akira bit his lip in contemplation. “We could just say we’re figuring things out. Does that sound okay to you?” He asked carefully and Ryuji stopped for a second to think it all over. 

In the end, he nodded, “yeah, that sounds good.” Akira nodded affirmatively and Ryuji bumped their shoulders together in a joking manner, the tension between them lessening. “And if later, we want to be… boyfriends, how’s that sit with you?” 

Although the blond tried not to worry too much about Akira’s response, it still made him nervous. However, as soon as he saw Akira’s lips stretching into the smallest of smiles, the tension left his body and he couldn’t help but thank every deity out there. 

“After a while, that would be fine by me,” Akira nodded and Ryuji grinned, unable to keep the smile off his face any longer. 

“Great! I mean- awesome!” Ryuji coughed awkwardly and Akira sent him an amused glance before returning his attention back to the TV screen. The blond, however, could not do that.

He felt giddy with joy and his leg started tapping on the floor without his consent. Only did he notice that when Akira chuckled amusedly and put his palm on Ryuji’s thigh, effectively stopping its bouncing. 

“Sorry.” Ryuji mumbled and Akira shook his head slightly in a reply. 

“It’s fine.” He was quiet a moment longer. “That reminds me. You did really good today. You know, with the mission.” 

Ryuji’s eyes lit up at hearing the praise, “oh, thanks! Although I should probably be a bit more concerned by the fact that Futaba is able to listen in on my conversations, huh?”

Akira chuckled, “Maybe. But don’t worry, she knows her limits. Or at least I think she does.” 

Ryuji snorted, “And we’ll get in heaven when we die. Or at least I think we will.” 

“Well, you know, whatever helps you sleep at night. But yeah,” Akira scratched the back of his neck. “You were good. We got a new lead, now. So thanks.” 

“Hey, ‘twas all thanks to you.” 

Akira looked at Ryuji and his breath caught in his windpipe when the black eyes focused in on his face. The gaze was now molten, silver spots dancing around before the pupils started getting used to looking at Ryuji’s face in the dark. Akira gave a small hum at the back of his throat, slowly clicking his tongue as his eyes raked over Ryuji’s form. 

“So, about that reward…” He gave him a meaningful look and Ryuji’s cheeks started heating up. Suddenly, he was unable to form coherent sentences and his heart started beating faster than he thought was even possible. 

“Oh yeah, that… I was just- joking.” 

Akira raised his eyebrows, his mouth forming a small smirk. 

“Were you?” 

“Well- teasing.” 

Akira snorted, giving Ryuji a once-over and god, did that do wonders to Ryuji’s mind. He felt his blood rush to his head and his palms started sweating, begging to touch those soft black curls and run his fingers down his chest, bury his face in the crook of Akira’s neck or maybe leave red lines across his back with his nails. He stifled a sigh threatening to rise from his throat and his body instinctively turned completely towards Akira, his one leg propped on the couch while the other dangled uselessly off it. 

“Well, it worked,” Akira murmured, “the teasing.” 

“I’m-“ Ryuji’s voice cracked from the tension, “sorry?” 

Akira smiled, his focused façade melting for a second to reveal the hidden affection in his eyes. “Don’t be.” He whispered, leaning forward and lowering his eyelids, his eyes dropping to Ryuji’s lips. The boy understood the silent invitation and closed the distance between them with measured slowness. 

When their lips touched, Ryuji’s mind fogged and his body took over. His arms found Akira’s hips and gently drew him in closer, Akira giving a small sigh that Ryuji swallowed without reservations, stifling the sound with his mouth. Akira’s lips were soft against his and they brushed against each other lazily. 

Akira slowly flexed his muscles, trying to find a more comfortable position between Ryuji’s legs without breaking contact. He finally found himself snugly sitting in front of Ryuji, his left leg draped over Ryuji’s thigh, the other threateningly close to his crotch, which drove the blond wild. 

Akira draped his arms around Ryuji’s shoulders, his fingers snaking into the blonde locks and slightly pulling on them, effectively turning Ryuji’s head and drawing out a gasp. Akira took the moment to run his tongue against Ryuji’s lower lip and Ryuji happily obliged, letting Akira explore the inside of his mouth and lightning shot through his body as Akira’s knee accidently brushed against his hardening length. Ryuji moaned and his nails dug slightly into Akira’s hips, drawing him even closer. 

Now both Akira’s legs were hoisted over Ryuji’s thighs, trapping him and bringing their chests closer together. Ryuji’s nipples brushed against his shirt, the fabric a stark contract to the feeling of Akira’s smooth skin. 

Ryuji’s hands ran higher, mapping out the skin beneath Akira’s shirt, trailing the slight feeling of his ribs under his fingertips. Akira shivered at the contact and his own hands brushed down Ryuji’s back, tugging on the hem of his shirt in a slight indication.

Ryuji broke the kiss with a loud pop and raised his arms so Akira could take his shirt off. The fabric moving against his skin felt electric and Ryuji hissed, shutting his eyes for a second, only opening them when he heard Akira chuckle in front of him. 

“You’re a live wire, aren’t you.” Akira’s voice was lower than usual and the raspy sound made Ryuji’s cock twitch in his pants. 

Ryuji only grunted, not even trying to string words together in a coherent sentence when his brain was busy looking at the sight before him. He saw Akira’s flushed cheeks, a small smirk playing on his lips. They were red from kissing and they glistened slightly when the light from the TV caught them in just the right way. 

Ryuji wasn’t sure if he would ever get used to this sight. The glasses sat slightly crooked on Akira's nose, his chest was rising and falling swiftly in an attempt to even out his breathing and his eyes would be forever burned into the back of Ryuji's mind. He could not make out where the pupils ended and irises started. 

Ryuji was on cloud nine when Akira lowered his head, tracing his lips against Ryuji’s collarbone and biting gently, his lips then softly mouthing at the already bruising spot. His hands were cold against Ryuji’s burning skin and he gasped, instinctively jerking away when he felt the other’s cold fingers brushing against his nipples. Akira raised his head to look at Ryuji, his left brow slightly raised. 

“Is this okay?” 

Ryuji could only nod, his hands uselessly lying on Akira’s thighs. He experimentally squeezed them and Akira hissed, a blissful look hooding his features as his hips bucked into Ryuji’s grasp. 

“More than,” Ryuji whispered and Akira blinked a few times. Ryuji tried to gather his thoughts and his hands started gently brushing against Akira’s crotch. The boy groaned and threw his head back, moving in an absolutely sinful way against Ryuji’s body. The blond cursed, trying to clear his mind and come up with a coherent thought. 

His mind was currently filled with pictures of Akira in different states of undress and the slight burn of Akira’s blunt nails drawing moon-like dents into his shoulders really didn’t help getting rid of them. The black-haired boy writhing beneath him flashed through his brain and Ryuji hissed, realising how close he was to just taking Akira right then and there. 

“Hey, wh- fuck, Akira. Wait.” Ryuji sighed and Akira’s head immediately shot up from where he was nibbling on Ryuji’s shoulder. Ryuji almost cried out in frustration when Akira’s hands followed suit, gently plopping down between them. His hair was even more messed up than before and Ryuji’s legs would’ve given out at the sight if he wasn’t sitting on the couch. 

“What is it?” Akira inclined his head, not backing away but keeping enough distance between them that Ryuji’s mind started clearing up again. “Did I go too far?” Even though he seemed calm on the outside, Ryuji heard the slight quiver in his voice. He didn’t know if he should ascribe it to the feeling of fear or lust, but he wouldn’t take any chances. He laced their fingers together in an attempt to assure him. 

“No, you did fine, I just-“ He cursed, running the unoccupied hand through his hair. Akira was looking at him without judgement in his eyes. His stare was unwavering and Ryuji could practically feel him peeling his layers off one by one, searching for why Ryuji stopped them. 

“Did we… Are you not prepared yet?” Ryuji snapped his gaze back to Akira and chuckled softly, his hand rising to play with the strands at the back of Akira’s head. 

“No. I’m… more than prepared.” He bit his lower lip and Akira’s eyes followed the gesture, minutely darkening with lust. He drew his head closer to Ryuji and the blond instinctively closed his eyes, only paying attention to the feeling of Akira’s breath ghosting his face, the smell of coffee invading his senses. 

“Is that it?” Akira whispered and Ryuji’s breath hitched at the intensity of his voice. It dropped an octave and he couldn’t help but slightly tug on Akira’s black locks in a response. “I need to hear you, Ryuji. Is that it?” Ryuji groaned, nodding his head furiously. 

“Y-Yeah. That’s-“ His eyes shot open in shock when he felt Akira’s fingers clench around his clothed erection and start rhythmically rubbing circles. He almost missed the way Akira moved closer to him, his other hand finding purchase on Ryuji’s shoulder as his breath ghosted over his ear. 

“So what you’re saying is… You’d like to take my shirt off…” Akira trailed off and Ryuji groaned affirmatively. His mind was constantly being fogged up by Akira’s nimble fingers, which were now slowly tracing the zipper, feather-like touches driving him mad. 

Akira chuckled, withdrawing his body to pull his own shirt off. Ryuji’s hands snapped to Akira’s torso, trailing the slight ridges of his abdomen muscles. Akira moaned as the blond’s fingertips brushed against his peaked nipples and as his left thumb gently pressed into the bruise on his shoulder that he left the day before. The black-haired boy gasped, lowering his head again to tug on Ryuji’s ear lobe. The blond couldn’t help but be amazed at his capability of forming words in moments like these. 

“And then you’d like me to mess you up. Cloud your mind and make you only be able to scream my name?” His wandering fingers stopped just short of Ryuji’s erection as his tongue trailed a wet patch down to his left nipple. His warm breath against Ryuji’s naked form made all sanity escape the boy’s mind. “Or were you thinking of bottoming out in me? Feeling me clench around your hot dick?” 

As Akira’s hands wrapped around Ryuji’s clothed erection Ryuji yelped, his voice filled with lust, but was too preoccupied to be embarrassed about it. Regardless, seeing how Akira’s eyes widened with thirst and how his breath hitched, Ryuji guessed the boy found it more hot than not. Ryuji’s hips pushed against Akira’s hand with a quick nod of his head. 

“Yeah, that, Akira.” He hissed, “Jesus, fuck. Just- please,” he let out a whine and Akira finally took pity on him, hiding his face in the crook of Ryuji’s neck as both his hands busied themselves with freeing Ryuji’s aching cock out of the confines of his underwear. He felt the cold air hit his length and he gasped in shock, the breath turning into a low moan as Akira finally wrapped his hand around it. 

“Fuck, that’s-“ Ryuji’s head tilted back as he shut his eyes tight, heat coiling in his abdomen as Akira used his hand to create delicious friction. 

“Or would you rather see me swallow you up and drink your come to the last drop,” Akira popped the p next to Ryuji’s ear and the blond shivered, his hands lowering to grip for purchase on the couch. 

Akira put his palm on Ryuji’s chest and gently pushed him down, so his head hit the armrest as Akira climbed above him, his hot breath ghosting over Ryuji’s throbbing erection. 

“God, f-“ Ryuji’s words died in his throat as he felt Akira’s wet tongue pull a wet stripe of spit from the base of his length to the tip, where he wrapped his already red lips around it and _sucked_. Ryuji couldn’t move his hand fast enough to stifle his scream as he bit into his fist. He looked down to see Akira watching him intently. 

Even when their eyes met, Akira didn’t waver, only sucked harder, his hand working the rest of his cock in sensual, rhythmic movements, turning his wrist at the base. He moaned and the vibrations made Ryuji bite down on his hand that much harder. 

He knew he was vocal in bed, but he couldn’t remember the last time he wanted to scream so badly. As Akira curled his tongue around the tip, trailing it over Ryuji’s slit, he buried his fingers in Akira’s hair and pulled on it. When Akira moaned around his cock and closed his eyes, Ryuji figured the boy had a slight preference to having his hair pulled and he gladly obliged. 

The way Akira moved his mouth around Ryuji’s dick was sinful to look at. As he continued mouthing at the tip, rubbing his tongue on the underside of Ryuji’s cock, he slightly sped up his hand movements. Ryuji mindlessly bucked upwards and triggered Akira’s gag reflex. His eyes watered and his throat contracted around Ryuji’s dick. 

“Oh shi- sorry, Akira, I-“ His words were swallowed up again as Akira used his free hand to grip Ryuji’s hips and hold him still. To his credit, he didn’t stop with his ministrations. He merely continued using his hand on the base of Ryuji’s length. He used the saliva dripping from the corners of his mouth to slick up his palm and quickened his pace. 

It was a rather long time since Ryuji did anything sexual with another person, and paired with the fact that Akira seemed to know rather well just what to do to drive Ryuji crazy, it wasn’t long before the blond felt the familiar curl in his stomach tightening. 

“Akira-ah, I’m close-“ He gripped Akira’s locks, only pulling slightly on them in a warning, but Akira didn’t seem to want to let up. He continued sucking on the tip, creating the last form of pressure Ryuji needed to blow his load down Akira’s throat. 

Black eyes engulfed his whole being as he felt Akira working around the tip to prevent any of his come leaking out of his mouth. He let his head fall back and he knew he must look fucked out of his mind, but at that moment, he couldn’t care less. 

His chest was heaving heavily and he felt the familiar tiredness starting to take over his body. He looked down at Akira and saw him wiping the corners of his mouth with his thumb, only to bring the thumb to his lips and lick the come on it clean. His eyes didn’t leave Ryuji’s form and Ryuji groaned at the sight, pulling his arm over his eyes in an attempt to block out the vision. When he felt some of his strength return to his arms, he propped himself up to look at the other teen. 

He let his hands trail Akira’s hips in a suggestive motion. “So. How do I return the favour?” 

Akira smiled gently, pecking Ryuji’s lips. “You don’t need to. I can take care of it myself. Just wanted to make you feel good.” His voice was hoarse and scratchy. Ryuji figured he loved the sound of it, the proof of what they were doing only a minute ago. 

Ryuji licked his lips, grimacing at the bitter taste of himself on them. “And now I want to make you feel good.” 

“No need. Just move your legs so I can go to the bathroom to take a shower and I’ll do it myself. You can still return the favour another day.” Akira murmured, pressing his forehead against Ryuji’s. 

“You sure?” Ryuji didn’t feel completely comfortable leaving Akira to his own devices. He wanted to see him lose control, to make his face twist with desire. 

He felt more than saw Akira’s lips lift in a smile. “Completely.” 

Ryuji sighed, turning around to shut down the TV. They missed the last half hour of the movie, but none of them seemed like they cared much for it. “Alright. When you’re done, come sleep in my bed. It’s late already, so we should probably go to sleep.” 

Akira hummed, standing up and quietly leaving the room. He probably knew Ryuji watched his naked back with the intensity of a hundred suns, because his hips moved slowly with his every step, teasing Ryuji without even touching. The blond couldn’t even imagine how torturous it had to be for Akira to walk like he wasn’t sporting a big erection that begged to be released. 

When Akira turned the corner, Ryuji sighed, leaning against the headrest to clear his mind. With a small content smile, he picked both their shirts off the floor and pulled up his zipper, making his way upstairs. 

As he stepped into the room, he heard the water from his bathroom running and he couldn’t help but envision Akira standing under the spray, his black hair stuck to his neck and a blissed out expression on his face as he touched himself under the hot water. He shook his head and sat on the edge of his bed, waiting for Akira to finish showering. 

After a few more minutes, the water stopped running and Akira appeared in all his glory, a towel wrapped around his hips and a toothbrush between his teeth. Ryuji followed the trail a small drop of water took down Akira’s side and his feet shuffled to stand in front of him. Akira stopped brushing his teeth to watch Ryuji’s motions intently as the blond cupped his chin in his hand. 

“You’re absolutely gorgeous,” Ryuji murmured into Akira’s ear and he felt a shiver travel through Akira’s body as he gently nipped the skin behind his ear. Before he could react Ryuji turned around, taking his pyjama bottoms and closing the bathroom door behind him. 

The blond sighed, leaning on the sink. He winced when he saw the state of himself in the mirror. He looked completely wrecked. His blond hair was standing up in all directions, a small bruise was forming at his collarbone and his lips were still red from the kisses. He ran his hand through his hair in an attempt to make them more presentable, but gave up halfway and stepped into the shower to wash off the day. 

While he was showering, he heard the bathroom door open hesitantly and Akira stepped in, washing his mouth in the sink. Ryuji followed the blurred form of his lover as Akira stepped over to the shower, extending his hand to make shapes on the shower wall. Ryuji’s mouth formed a grin as he saw Akira trail a heart shape on the glass wall before exiting the bathroom. 

When Ryuji finally joined Akira in the bed, the boy was already sleeping soundly. Ryuji grinned and slipped under the sheets, wrapping his arms around Akira, the boy stirring from his sleep enough to return the hug. 

Hey… Ryuji?” Akira murmured, “Did your mom leave… so she wouldn’t bother us?” 

Ryuji’s brain stilled before the gears started turning again and he snorted. “Jeez. Yeah, that’s what she probably did.” 

“…Should we apologize? I mean, I feel like we threw her out of her own house.” Akira’s voice was slightly muffled by Ryuji’s chest. 

“I don’t think we need to. But if it eases your mind, I’ll apologize later.” Akira only hummed in response and soon they were both falling into a blissful sleep devoid of any dreams. 


End file.
